RICHARD YOUNG

I’m a 58 year old optometrist living in Caerleon, Newport. I have a lovely wife (Steph) of 35 years and two grown up children, one living locally and the other in Germany.

I run my own optometry practice based in Pill, Newport. I started working there in 1992 and enjoy the freedom of being my own boss and not having to answer to the demands of a large corporation.

I am a committed Christian, and have worked in Mongolia with the Christian mission organization Interserve. After spending a year in Redcliffe Bible College in Gloucester, my family moved to Mongolia in 2000 and we stayed there until 2007. I worked in developing optometry, my wife in general health care development and we both worked to support and equip the local church in Mongolia. I still try and visit there every other year when possible.

Since returning to the UK I served as an elder at Nant Coch church in Newport from 2008 until last year, when we felt the need to start supporting our local church at Lodge Farm in Caerleon.

While an elder at Nant Coch I helped to encourage the church to be part of the Newport Night Shelter, and I feel very strongly that an important part of the work of the church is to support and stand up for the disadvantaged in society, despite the fact that it is not easy and unfortunately seems to meet with regular opposition.