Which organisation are you involved with?

The Teifi Valley Railway.

What sort of volunteer work do you do and where?

I'm a volunteer fireman on the railway in Henllan.

How did you get started?

I started working here five years ago and my training began on the very first day, straight in at the deep end. Since that time I have taken on all sorts of other jobs too - I edit the Society's magazine, manage our web site and I issue press releases to the national railway magazines.

How long have you been a volunteer?

I've been a volunteer for five years now.

Are there any special skills you need to be a volunteer?

We are a small friendly Society so as you can see, everyone has to be prepared to take on a lot more than just one job. Being a part-time volunteer means a full-time commitment!

How many hours a week/month do you give?

I'm on the footplate four days a month, and I spend as long as it takes to do all the other things. In the month before the magazine hits the members' doorsteps, I might need to spend a full week preparing it for printing. I'm constantly urging other Members to write articles for the magazine and researching old photographs of our line for their historic interest.

What are the best and worst things about being a volunteer?

The best part of being a Teifi Valley Railway volunteer is working on the footplate of an historic steam locomotive - nothing can beat the smell of steam coal and the sound of the engine!

We cater for a lot of disabled people at the Teifi Valley Railway and it's lovely to see them really enjoying their day with us. I've made a lot of friends here in the past five years and I'd be at the railway all the time if I could but I don't think that will happen until I retire, and that's a long time in the future.

The worst thing about being a volunteer is having to go back to paid work at the end of my four days firing.