Richard is a Chartered Surveyor by profession and was, until he retired some years ago at a very early age, a main board director of what was then the largest firm of Chartered Surveyors in the UK.

Since then he has been heavily involved in the Voluntary and Community Sector and has helped set up four charities over the years. His involvement has been in children's hospices, youth work, the Church of England, social housing, inovitive house construction, social and economic regeneration, homelessness and many other facets of life in Ashford Borough and the South East of England.