A RALLYING cry has gone out for businesses and organisations to join forces and help promote a historic Suffolk market town.

Choose Woodbridge is launching a new recruitment drive after invigorating the old Woodbridge Town Centre Management group earlier this year. Chairman Chris Harrold said at present as little as 15% of businesses were signed up to the group - a figure he is hoping will soon change.

“We’ve gone for a bit of a re-brand and are now having a push for new members as we want as many people as possible to be involved,” he said. “We’re more than just a business association. The aim is to promote the town and all work together to make people aware of what a lively, vibrant place Woodbridge is.”

The group represents the interests of businesses and other organisations and promotes the town. It runs a variety of events such as the annual Easter egg hunt, the recent “Woofbridge” dog day in Elmhurst Park and the Christmas street fair - with more in the pipeline.

Mr Harrold, of the town’s Woodbridge Greengrocer, said they had taken inspiration from the recent Government led town centre review headed by retail guru Mary Portas.

He said they hoped to form a “town team” - drawing on a variety of expertise from the likes of businesses, residents, councils and landlords - as well as promote Woodbridge as a “third place”. “People have somewhere where they work and another place where they live,” Mr Harrold said. “We want to make Woodbridge that other extra place - where they come to visit for anything. It could be bird watching, sailing, shopping or dining. Everyone’s ‘third place’ is different. As a result we need to show Woodbridge has a good degree of diversity and that we can all work together for the benefit of the town as a whole. It’s very exciting and there are a lot of opportunities.”

For information, to enquire about membership or volunteering email chris.harrold@sunkfish.com for details.