The newly-appointed chairman of a Suffolk town’s fast-growing business association has pledged to continue with the community-focused strategy of his predecessor.

Richard Harrison has succeeded Jenny Stockman by taking the helm of the Framlingham Business Association (FBA) .

The FBA has developed a 100-strong membership since it was formed four years ago, offering networking opportunities while organising events, such as the popular annual Sausagefest, to benefit the town’s economy.

Mr Harrison, who runs the Richwords Ltd copywriting service, joined the FBA shortly after moving to the town three years ago and was appointed vice-chairman at the last July AGM.

The 51-year-old married father-of-two said the FBA had been a useful source of new business and praised the work of his predecessor for developing the association’s role in the community.

“Once I got involved in the FBA I realised it was a great organisation that was good for businesses but also the wider community,” he said.

“With the events that it runs and the volunteering that goes on, I thought it was a good way to give something back to Framlingham, now I am here for the long term.”

Mr Harrison said he planned to consolidate Ms Stockman’s work and build on it further, getting more businesses engaged in events and activities in the wider community, while nurturing ties with the town and district councils.

“It’s about trying to get everyone working together for the greater good and I think the foundations of that are already firmly in place,” he said.

Ms Stockman, who served as chairman for two years, said she would remain an enthusiastic FBA member, though she felt the time was right “for a fresh pair of eyes”.

“I’ve really enjoyed being the chairman,” she said.

“It’s been hard work but it’s been something to get my teeth into and I’ve been proud of what the town has achieved – Framlingham is a great place to develop ideas and try new things and I’ve really enjoyed that.

“It’s really exciting when you see things happen and the town is buzzing and there is national media coverage promoting Framlingham as an economically vibrant town.

“There’s a whole ecosystem here and I’ve enjoyed building on that and I think it’s really healthy that after two years we have a fresh pair of eyes here to take over.”

The role of vice-chairman went to Andrew Niekirk.