You may wonder how many years of service to an Aberdeen community it would take to claim the title of Mrs Northfield.
If you ask Jacqui Innes, the answer is 43.
The 65-year-old director of the Northfield Community Centre now stands as a central figure of the Aberdeen suburb after first lending a hand to the centre’s playgroup in 1981.
But looking back on four decades of service to raising a community, she joked today that “she maybe should have just said no”.
Jacqui was to have retired last month in December, but she finds herself still planted at her ever-familiar desk – maintaining food banks, youth clubs and unemployment programs.
Northfield is truly the great grandmother’s passion, with her only vacation from the area taking place last month, where she went to Benidorm with family and friends.
Despite enjoying the jaunt, she told The Press and Journal she sees no reason to leave the Granite City suburb again.
“I’ve seen it all,” she remarked.
But, perhaps its the deep-seated love for her home that has earned her the nickname.
‘I’ve no plans to go anywhere’
“I’ve got the nickname now, which is Mrs Northfield,” she said.
“I went into the pub recently and they’re all pointing at me to say ‘look who it is, it’s Mrs Northfield.’
“It’s just something that stuck.”
“But it is true that I am passionate about the area.
“I’m 65 years old and I have absolutely no plans to go anywhere else.
“I have only been away for short trips away, but I’m back before long.
“Everybody laughs at me because it was the first time I had ever been out of Britain, at 65, and we went to Benidorm.
“It was lovely and all that and good time – but I don’t need to go back now.”
Jacqui’s journey to director of community centre
Jacqui started her community centre journey with the kid’s club before picking up paid work helping the local unemployed and, over time, working her way up to becoming director of the facility.
She explained: “I came in here with my late son over 43 years ago to find a playgroup for him.
“That’s when one of the staff there asked me if I wanted to help out there with the volunteering.
“I should have just said ‘no’,” she joked.
“Since then, I haven’t been able to say ‘no’ to a lot of things.
“I joined up with the play-scheme as they called it back then, and Bob’s your uncle, Fanny’s your aunt and now I’m here!
“Now I’m still here. I was supposed to have retired last month. It might happen some day!”
“We have fought multiple campaigns to keep this place open, as well as the school – both of which have been successful.
“I love it when the kids come in and you see them with their parents and you think ‘I know you!'”
“My great grandchildren are here now, and I’ve seen them grow up alongside the other kids in the area.
She added: “I just love what I do.”
‘Our pride and joy at the club’
When asked what her greatest achievement was during her time at the centre, one name stuck out to her.
She continued: “Dylan came through the club with us a number of years ago.
“I remember meeting him for the first time, and we were trying to call him from across the hall – but he had taken his hearing aids out because he wasn’t wanting to listen to us!
“He is now 18 years old and he has been through the club, and now volunteers.
“Dylan is one of our pride and joys at the club – one of our greatest achievements.
“It’s great to see him turn into an ambassador for Northfield.”
She added: “It annoys me when people ask me ‘what’s ever came out of Northfield?’
“I know the names of five millionaires from this area.”
“Why would someone not move here. It’s a good a place as any.”
How has the area changed and call for councillors
With the threat of closure looming over the head of many public assets, Jacqui also invited local and national officials to observe the work done at Northfield Community Centre.
“I would ask council and government higher-ups to come out and see us.
“Pull on a jumper and a pair of jeans and get involved.
“If they did they’d see a bunch of happy kids.”
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