Volunteering is the life blood of the game, and my journey began when I was 16 years old, I saw an advert online at my local club, Clipstone FC in Nottinghamshire about looking for a Social Media Admin. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get involved in football. I got in touch and got the role, and what I was about to learn about football opened my eyes up to the real world of the game.

I started out doing all the social media posts and website posts but it then moved into much more, I became more involved, helping in the hospitality, helping set the ground up on a matchday, whether that was putting kit out or refilling fridges, these experiences helped to shape who I am today. The biggest lesson to take from it is how putting countless hours volunteering paid off for the long-term gain I took from the experience. It is important to be patient, opportunities will come to those who work hard, but stay level headed.

My biggest achievement was winning the Nottinghamshire FA Young Volunteer of the Year, this award wasn't possible without the support of all my colleagues at Clipstone.

After I got a place at the University of Lincoln, studying Sports Journalism, my time to move on from Clipstone came and whilst it was the hardest decision of my life, it was one that I needed for the progression of my career.

In my first year at the Univeristy, I decided to get involved in the local radio station, Siren Radio, hosting and producing a sport show alongside one of my fellow students. Whilst doing some commentary at the Lincolnshire FA finals for Siren, the opportunity to do some voluntary work for Lincolnshire FA, came about through Zack Leader, the media, marketing and events officer, I was so appreciative to start doing some work under Zack and I would have laughed if I knew where I’d be 12 months down the line. I have now moved into a paid role within Lincolnshire FA as the Media & Volunteer Engagement Assistant, this is a real achievement for me and one I can look back on with a lot of pride. During this time, I had a small stint with Lincoln United with Zack, but due to my rising commitments, I couldn't give the football club the time it deserved, but these opportunities are worth grabbing it.

My role is shaped around supporting media operations like our grassroot awards and county cup finals, but a lot of it works around working with volunteers in the game and creating schemes to recognise volunteers across the game. It is such a rewarding job to be able to visit the lifeblood of football and the people who make it happen every week. None of this is possible without my colleagues at Lincolnshire FA, who I will always appreciate.

Alongside this, I got the opportunity to go freelance at BBC Radio Lincolnshire working with a variety of presenters and reporters and even getting out to my first ever game to report on live! I will always be grateful for the people who supported me to getting me to my journey. For people that want to get involved in Marketing and Media, just get involved at your local football club, support their media team, and you will learn a lot from it. Go for it!