He beat the odds and today, at the age of 72, he's decided it was time to pay it forward.

Every morning at 6am Bobby is at the Commonwealth Bank ATM outside Kurri Newsagency armed with antibacterial spray and a cloth.

For the past 12 months he has been cleaning the teller machine before and after use, protecting who he refers to as the good people of Kurri, from the spread of germs.

"They're good people in Kurri and they are very grateful for what I do," he said.

"I've cleaned it that much that the numbers are hardly recognisable anymore so I've had to go over them with a marking pen."

But his charity doesn't end there.

This modest pensioner from West Cessnock looks after his neighbour's grandson, collecting recyclables, cans and bottles, for him to cash in at the local Return and Earn bin.

He also looks after another elderly neighbour, regularly checking on her welfare and up until a few weeks ago, taking her grocery shopping.

"My car died and has gone to the wreckers so unfortunately I can't help her at the moment," Bobby said.

"I rely on a friend who lives at the back of me to run me into the newsagency of a morning and I catch two buses in the afternoon back home - one to Vincent Street, Cessnock then another out to West Cessnock," he said.

"You never know. Things might pick up - I might win Lotto."

Born and bred in Merewether, Bobby said his connection with the Coalfields came when he started working in the pits on conveyor belts.

"The people of the Coalfields are great and they really appreciate what I am doing," he said. "I'm at the newsagency to give them a hand when they open. It's all voluntary. They all know me and I don't mind doing it - I enjoy it."

And as for the ATM? "Everyone reckons it's the cleanest one they've ever seen."

But Bobby's story certainly begs the question why? "I'm doing all right, I could be a lot worse off and I like helping people. It beats sitting at home on a milk crate drinking coffee," he said.