Last week I was thrilled and deeply honoured to have been elected as one of the new board members for Ipswich Central earlier this week. 

This dynamic board, comprised of passionate business professionals, is dedicated to enhancing the town’s overall presence via a number of positive initiatives and advancements, such as amplifying the safety of it’s people, promoting the town events, new ways and concepts to draw in visitors into our town, alongside launching impactful seasonal campaigns that boost local business visibility and revenue. 

Over the years that I’ve lived in Ipswich, I've seen a noticeable shift towards a more forward-thinking and positive outlook for my adopted town. I’ll admit, when I first arrived here with my wife and young family twelve years ago, I felt a certain inertia, a resigned attitude - 'it is what it is’, 'take it or leave it’ perspective.

Yet, beneath that, I also noticed that there was immense potential waiting to be unlocked. There was so much that could and should have been done.

Thankfully, that was then. Today, Ipswich positively shouts about all the new opportunities, innovative initiatives; and there’s a refreshing urgency to embrace this progress. Certain campaigns and projects, alongside a new sense of urgency, have become more attuned to a new language of moving forward and making plans for Ipswich, which is so wonderful to see. 

Conversations about progress are now more vibrant and filled with possibility! It’s inspiring; this renewed sense of optimism and determination.

So many voices advocating for open and inclusive dialogues about the issues that matter most to our community, it’s incredibly heartening. 

Of course, there will also be challenges, but these are far from insurmountable, especially when there is a collective will to overcome them. Driving change for the better sounds so obvious and cliche, but it’s so true.

But whilst acknowledging that change needs to come, new initiatives and ideas can also bring a certain amount of fear and resistance, just reading some of the comments about Ipswich online, or on Twitter; there’s so much skepticism against the town and those wanting to exert this positive change, a change which we all want. It’s about changing and winning over those 'closed minds’ which is the biggest challenge. 

However, we aren’t too far away, and continued progress is vital, and I hope, together, we can navigate these challenges and build a stronger, more dynamic Ipswich.

I don't know as yet how much of an impact my ideas or contributions will have, but I am fully committed to bringing my enthusiasm, creativity, and my dedication to this role, plus my keen eye for visual storytelling - tools that I've developed during my career, will help keep me engaged and effective as we aim to work together in shaping the future of this town. 

This is an exciting chapter for Ipswich, and I am eager to contribute to the town’s evolution as much as I can. So let's embrace change -  it’s all about community...