Please tell us a bit about yourself?

I am originally from Donaghmore in Co. Tyrone and I have a fantastic family of 4 sisters, 2 brothers, 13 nieces and nephews (and one more on the way at the time of writing!!) and mum & dad. I have a BSc Finance and an MSc Finance from Queen's University and I have been living in Belfast since 1992.

I love everything sport and as a young person, I was happy to get involved in any sport. I played Basketball to provincial level, won All Ireland, Ulster, Colleges and Club honours in Gaelic Football and I have multiple Northern Ireland and All Ireland titles in Snooker.....yes, snooker!

I also play golf (very badly!) and I love running. I have completed a number of Half Marathons but a knee operation last year has restricted my miles.

My proudest sporting moment was receiving the Sports Achievement Award in Queen's University in 1996.

I worked as a Sports Development Manager in Queen's University until December 2008 and I am now working as a Sports Consultant.

Why did you get involved in volunteering?

Looking back on it, I was brought up in a 'volunteering' family where my mum, dad and other relatives were all heavily involved in our local club. That was probably my 'grounding' in volunteerism.

I thought that my first meaningful introduction to volunteering was for the Millennium Youth Games but during my time at Queen's, I was involved in numerous sports club committees and I really enjoyed the challenge of organising club affairs to ensure that the club/teams were as successful and enjoyable as possible. I think this set the scene for my future volunteering endeavours.

In addition however, I knew during university that I would like to combine my academic qualification (Finance) with my passion of sport. Getting involved in volunteering would assist greatly in building a comprehensive skill base of sports administration and development....and it did!

What do you do?

My contribution as a Sports Volunteers is primarily 'administration' based. As Treasurer of Bredagh GAC, I manage the finances for the largest Gaelic club in the city of Belfast and I work with committee colleagues to build a robust structure within which participation can grow and the various disciplines can prosper. The committee meets once a month but the role of Treasurer requires a weekly focus on managing the books and a significant amount of other club related business is carried out on a weekly basis - and almost 12 months of the year.

As a Sports Development Volunteer for the Torrent Complex in Donaghmore, I guide the Sports Development Officer in organising and co-ordinating the delivery of a varied programme of activities for a wide range of participants - schools, youth, females, people with a disability and older people. The project involved the construction of a new £2m facility and received funding through the Sport NI Building Sport Programme. The sports development impact has exceeded all expectations and it is great to see so many people from the local community getting involved in physical activity and sport. I meet the SDO at least once a month and liaise regularly via email and phone.

As a Committee Member of Club Tyrone, I assist with the completion of funding applications to assist with the continued development of Gaelic Games in the County.

I was involved as a volunteer from 2007 in the collation of a strategy to develop Gaelic Games in the city of Belfast. I was then asked to Chair the Implementation Group with the responsibility for bringing the strategy to life and the committee has been in place since November 2009.

When I moved out of the University industry in December 2008, I agreed to stay involved as a volunteer to fulfil the role of National Team Manager for the Northern Ireland Universities teams which compete at the bi annual British University Games. This is a multi sport event and is the pinnacle of domestic representative sport at third level. My role requires the management of travel, appointment of team officials, gear, budgets and communication with the Organising Committee.

Why do you enjoy it?

The end result - participation by as many people as possible in sport or physical activity at the level of their choosing. It is very fulfilling to know that I made a contribution (minimal or otherwise) to an activity, class, group, training session or match that exudes everything that is brilliant about taking part in sport.

What opportunities has volunteering given you?

As outlined previously, my role as a volunteer in student sport contributed significantly to my career endeavours to date. Volunteering provides invaluable personal development opportunities - as well as unrivalled levels of enjoyment. I don't think I would be where I am today if I hadn't got involved in volunteering.

Do you have a typical "day in life of" volunteering routine and if so, what is it?

The nature of my volunteer roles does not align easily to 'routine'!!

What would you say to others who might think about volunteering?

Stop thinking about it and do it!! I never apologise for continuing to promote the importance of volunteering in sport. It saddens me to hear of the pressures placed on club sport in particular as a result of gaps in volunteer resources. I benefited greatly from the administrators and coaches who provided me with a fantastic sporting experience and it is the responsibility of adults to continue to safeguard these opportunities for young people.

The important message is that every small bit counts. Volunteering does not require an individual to commit a lot of time. You don't have to be a committee member or a coach - there are lots of other ways you can contribute e.g. agreeing to wash the kit a couple of times during the season, doing the door at the fundraiser, making sandwiches for the visiting teams etc. Don't run for the hills if someone asks you to get involved - your help (small or otherwise) will make a difference.

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