Name: Ian Kershaw

From: Pinvin, Nr Pershore

How long have you been collecting? Since July 2012

How many pins do you own? 26

Just prior to starting as a volunteer at London 2012 I became aware of the worldwide phenomenon of pin trading. Until then it had largely passed me by and I started the Games with an air of nonchalance around the whole subject matter - not possessing a single pin before my first shift in the Athlete's Village.

My first pin was gifted to me by a member of the Austrian delegation when I helped him when he was in a bit if rush for something. Being given this first pin started me off but this is not my story.

My story relates to how I came about the LED flashing pin from the Nauru team. Their National Olympic Committee (NOC) assistant approached me almost in floods of tears. She was at her wits end and didn't know what to do because she had lost her LOCOG issued travelcard. She was incredibly worried that she would be charged for losing it and to compound matters even more worried that she would have to also pay for a replacement that she could ill afford. Especially as an unpaid volunteer, just like me.

The first thing I did was to calm her down and get her to realise that this wasn't in fact going to happen, she had nothing to worry about and I would solve her problems. We went off to a quiet place as she was still distressed and I quickly reassured her and calmed her down. I then took her through the paperwork so that I could issue a replacement card for her, all with the absolute minimum of fuss and mindful of her delicate emotional state.

Once the paperwork was done I got the new card for her, assured her there was no charge for this and there were no consequences for her to worry about whatsoever. Her demeanour changed from being incredibly frightened, worried and emotional to being grateful and relaxed with a true Games Maker smile coming back to her face. She couldn't thank me enough for helping her out and releasing all that worry from her shoulders as she took her new card and set off on her shift.

As I watched the purposefulness return to her stride she quickly did an about turn and walked back towards me, again still with a beaming smile and a glint in her eye. She was fiddling about with her accreditation lanyard as she removed her one and only Nauru flashing pin. She handed it to me with the words that she had never in her life felt, so hopeless and low and had that feeling completely reversed so quickly and helpfully, and that she wanted to thank me by letting me have her prized possession that had been given to her by the Chef de Mission for the Nauru team. I could see that refusing this pin would have caused offence so I smiled back, thanked her, once again wished her well as she went back off on her way and it now sits with pride of place on my own lanyard with a story that I'll never forget.