Home-Grown Youth Minister becomes youngest member of Derbyshire County Council

Joel Bryan, 23, was born and raised in the Amber Valley, regularly attending Mass with his Grandma Brenda, taking part in retreats and conferences at every opportunity. Having finished college, Joel decided to spend a year volunteering with Nottingham Diocesan Catholic Youth Service (see page 16) as a member of the team at The Briars in Crich.

As part of the team, Joel dedicated 10 months to leading small groups, games and prayers for thousands Young People from schools and parishes from across the Diocese of Nottingham.

Now, on a slightly different path, Joel is the newly elected County Councillor for Long Eaton. To the naked eye, the two paths seem quite different, though Joel points out an  interesting similarity:

"My purpose whilst working at The Briars and now working for the people of Long Eaton actually have a lot in common; it is - and was - my hope that each person can simply live their life to the full (John 10:10), realising their true potential. For this to happen, their needs should be met - whether those be spiritual needs, physical needs, environmental needs, or another kind - it's a pleasure and an honour to play a part in facilitating them."

Then adding,

“I think it’s really important to have more Catholics in local government, fighting for social justice and constantly asking God for guidance”

Read this article and others like it in the October / November edition (Vol.2) of the Diocese of Nottingham E-News