Hull BID appoints St Stephen's manager as new chairman

THE new chairman of Hull BID said he aims to make the city more attractive to outsiders.

BID has appointed Jim Harris, centre manager of St Stephen's shopping centre, as its new chairman.

Mr Harris will be the successor to respected business- woman Victoria Jackson MBE.

Mr Harris joined the Hull BID board soon after arriving in the city in 2009 when he took on his role at St Stephen's.

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As someone who lives and works in the city, Jim is acutely aware of the city's potential and the challenges Hull faces.

"I am genuinely passionate about Hull," he said.

"I am well aware of the pressure facing city centre businesses and I intend to work to build on the considerable achievements of Victoria and the success of Hull BID and help make it even stronger.

"We want to make Hull more attractive to external visitors and also to the BID businesses, because they are the people who fund what we do and they want to know what they are getting for their money."

Mr Harris is also a member of the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce's council and is a prominent member of the Bondholders.

Mr Harris said: "Hull BID is about communication and leadership and harnessing all the collective interests in the city, working with bodies such as the city council and the chamber of commerce.

"The BID board is business- led, but we are not politically- motivated and we don't have to make a profit, so we can operate purely for the good of city centre businesses."

Mr Harris will take over from Ms Jackson, who founded Hull-based Kingston Recruitment Limited almost 28 years ago and was appointed as chairman of Hull BID in 2009.

Victoria guided the organisation into its second term by overseeing a successful renewal ballot nearly 18 months ago.

Last year, she led the BID to the coveted Purple Flag status, which saw Hull become one of 36 towns and cities in the UK to be recognised by the Association of Town Centre Management for the quality and diversity of its evening economy.

Ms Jackson, who will remain on the BID board, said: "Purple Flag and the ballot success were both fantastic achievements by the entire Hull BID team and our partners, including Hull City Council and Humberside Police.

"The strength of those partnerships continues to help Hull BID deliver many benefits for businesses in our city centre, but as we embark on an exciting programme of events for 2013, it is the right time for me to step down and support Jim, who is an excellent choice as the new chairman."