Why did you get involved in volunteering?

Initially someone was needed to attend League meetings so that the football club could get their fixtures each month, pay League and IFA dues etc. I volunteered and represented the club until I stopped playing. I then went to watch Linfield each Saturday and was asked to volunteer on a fund raising committee, the Linfield Special Efforts Committee. I am now also on the Linfield Bar Committee, helping to organise the bars at Windsor Park. About 10 years ago, I joined a Northern Ireland Supporters' Club, Laganside, and filled in as treasurer and then Secretary to help them out. I helped establish the Amalgamation of Official NISC a few years later and was the club rep to the Amalgamation meetings. At these, I was elected first as Treasurer and then Travel Secretary and Football for All rep to the Irish Football Association. I suppose I got involved in all these volunteering positions as I wanted to help my clubs and mates as much as I could.

What do you do?

Volunteering for the above positions means attending meetings with fans to determine what they want, attend committee meetings, liaise with the IFA, Travel Agents, Sports merchandisers, the Police Service for Northern Ireland, foreign authorities and British Embassy and Consul Officials in the countries my teams are visiting. I organise travel throughout Europe for Northern Ireland Fans and attend Football for All events. I also run an internet-based NISC with around 100 members and would sort out their tickets and travel for matches. I also arrange Fans' football matches against Northern Ireland's opponents and have played in such places as Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Armenia. On a weekly basis, I'm a Trustee and Treasurer of 1st Ballyclare Linfield Supporters Club and oversee the club accounts each weekend. I also run a fundraising event for charities and supporters' club which keeps me busy most Friday and Saturday nights.

Why do you enjoy it?

I really enjoy the experiences of attenting Northern Ireland and Linfield matches home and away and try to make it as easy as possible for others to share those good times with me. It has given me great pleasure to witness the rise of the Northern Ireland travelling support, from 10s in the 1990s to thousands nowadays! Some enjoy it so much that a 90 minute match necessitates a week-long stay in some foreign country!!

What opportunities has volunteering given you?

Volunteering has given me the opportunity to travel throughout Europe. When going to the poorer countries, we have tried to add a little extra and raised £3000 for an orphanage in Yerevan, Armenia and £10,000 for the United Aid for Azerbaijan. Travelling to those countries gave me the opportunity to see how some of the poorer people survive and it really made me appreciate what we have here back in Northern Ireland. It has also given me the opportunity to meet key decision makers and dignitaries at football here and throughout Europe. I've been lucky to receive the Brussels International Fans Award on behalf of the Northern Ireland fans at Windsor Park and in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours List, receive the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for my volunteering and work in the Civil Service. Without the volunteering, these opportunities would never have happened for me.

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

I dont think there is such a thing as a 'typical day' for a volunteer. Take what I have been doing for the last two weeks. Along with reps from the IFA and the PSNI, I travelled over to Katowice in Poland which will be the venue for the Poland v Northern Ireland match in a month's time. There, we met with the British Consul, the Polish Police, Polish FA and Stadium officials and Katowice authorities. We agreed travel arrangements so that Northern Ireland fans would have a safe trip to Katowice following trouble before the Poland match in Belfast earlier in the year. Following two days there, the next task was to edit and proof read the 12th Man leaflet which fans get when they travel to away matches. The leaflet gives them helpful information should they get into trouble, lose passports, fall ill, etc. Next day was liaising with a sports merchandiser for Amalgamation of NISC member discount on a new Northern Ireland top and emailing out to all clubs prior to coordinating the bulk order. Following day was coordinating ticket purchase for my NISC's tickets for the Israel friendly. Each evening is spent reading and sending emails re travel, merchandise, IFA and Amalgamation meetings. Don't know where I would be without the internet, email and my mobile phone, I wonder how we ever communicated effectively before the internet came along!!

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

If you have the skills/knowledge to do even something small to help others, go for it. Even if you think you mightn't be able to do it just at the minute, go for it anyway and you really can pick up a lot in a very short period of time. The more experience you gain, the more you will have to offer. Think of something which really interests you and find out what volunteering opportunities there might be in that area. Not everyone can be a top class volunteer coach, but most can be a steward who would be needed to help make the event happen!

Quick Fire Questions:

• Sports Idol: David Healy's goals for Northern Ireland over the last few years have given me happy memories for the rest of my life. Glen Ferguson would be my local sporting hero.
• Most memorable sporting occassion: Has to be the night in Valencia in the 1982 World Cup when Northern Ireland beat tournament favourites, Spain 1-0 to top the qualifying group.
• Favourite sport: Guess!!
• Best footie team in the world: Love watching the Brazilians in the World Cup, but We're no Brazil, we're.......
• Word you use far (!) too much: Yes. (Find it hard to say No to people!)
• Favourite food: Hard to beat floury spuds
• Favourite tv programme: Live football
• Most overplayed song on your ipod: Poker Face, believe it or not!!
• Facebook, Bebo or Twitter: None, Spend all my time on Football forums.
• BGT or XFactor: XFactor
• Best film you've seen this year: Dont have time to watch films
• Where will you be in 2012: Due to retire from full time work so hopefully will get the opportunity to go to the London Olympics