Patrons
& Trustees
The Eric Liddell Community was founded in 1980, in honour of the sporting and inspirational Scotsman whose 400 metres gold medal win at the 1924 Paris Olympics inspired the film Chariots of Fire. When Eric Liddell lived in Edinburgh, he was very familiar with the converted church where The Eric Liddell Community is based.
Our Patrons
We are delighted that a close connection with the Liddell family has been maintained with Eric’s three daughters Patricia, Maureen and Heather who live in Canada. In the UK, we are fortunate that Lord David Puttnam CBE, FRSA, the Oscar-winning producer of Chariots of Fire, is one of The Eric Liddell Community’s patrons, as is Eric Liddell’s niece Sue Liddell Caton and Professor Alexander McCall-Smith CBE, FRSA and writer.
Sue Caton
Sue is Eric Liddell’s niece. Her father Ernest was Eric’s younger brother.
Sue was on the Board from 2003 until 2009 when she was invited to become a Patron. Her role is to represent the family and to promote and support the work and ethics of the Charity.
Sue is a widow and lives in Edinburgh. She is a retired Physical Education Teacher and also lectured at a Further Education College in Computing.
She has a wide range of interests which includes a love of the countryside, gardening, bridge and in particular sport and is still involved in playing golf.
Lord David Puttnam
Lord David Puttnam is Chair of Atticus Education, an online education company founded in 2012 that delivers audio-visual seminars to students around the world. Until October 2021, he was a member of the House of Lords for 24 years, where he pursued an active role in a variety of areas, from educational and environmental issues to digital skills. Most recently, he was a member of the House of Lords Select Committee on the Environment and Climate Change, prior to which he Chaired the Report of the Select Committee on Democracy & Digital Technologies entitled ‘Digital Technology and the Resurrection of Trust’.
He spent thirty years as an independent producer of award-winning films including The Mission, The Killing Fields, Chariots of Fire, Midnight Express, Bugsy Malone and Local Hero. Together these films have won ten Oscars, 13 Golden Globes, nine Emmys, 31 BAFTAs and the Palme D’Or at Cannes. Lord Puttnam is President of the Film Distributors’ Association, Life President of the National Film and Television School and a Unicef Ambassador.
Alexander McCall Smith
Alexander McCall Smith CBE was Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh before he became a full-time author.
He has written and contributed to more than 100 books, including specialist academic titles, short story collections, stand alone novels, and children’s books. His various series of books have been translated into over 46 languages and have sold more than 30 million copies across the world. These include The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, set in Botswana; the 44 Scotland Street and Isabel Dalhousie novels, set in Edinburgh; the Professor von Igelfeld series; and the Ulf Varg novels, set in Sweden.
The 44 Scotland Street series, first published in The Scotsman newspaper, is now the longest running serial novel in the world.
In 2007 Alexander received a CBE for services to literature, and in 2011 was honoured by the President of Botswana for services through literature to the country. In 2017 he was the recipient, in New York, of the National Arts Club Annual Medal of Honour for achievement in literature.
Alexander is the co-founder of an amateur orchestra called ‘The Really Terrible Orchestra’, in which he plays the bassoon.
Our Trustees
Working alongside the full Staff Team and Volunteers, the Board oversees and supports the development of our Strategic Business Plan with regular input from the CEO and Senior Management Team. The Board provides clear direction, strategic planning, decision-making and regular support and guidance to ensure the delivery of our vision, mission and strategic aims.
