Gloucestershire now has a second representative on the board of directors of the Federation of Small Businesses.

At the FSB's Annual Meeting this week, elections were held to the board and Terry Lockwood, MD of Stroud-based Telecommunications company Paravail was elected to the board.

He joins Dave Stallon of Gloucester-based Plastics and Engineering Company in sitting on the six-strong board.

Lockwood, who lives near Stroud, has a background in Telecoms and IT and over the last 15 years he has focussed on consultancy and services for SME, corporate, public sector and charity organisations.

"He is also very well known in the Gloucestershire business scene and has lobbied for, and represented, the FSB at local, regional and national level."

He said: "I'm delighted to have been elected to this important role.

"I'm looking forward to putting my many years' experience to good use in support of small companies like mine.

"I know the importance for small business owners of having a strong voice for the sector that's heard in National and Local Government.

"The FSB is a formidable campaigning force for the greater good - and I'm proud to be on the Board in order to plan and exercise positive development for our members and small businesses generally throughout the UK."

An FSB member for just over 10 years, Lockwood has held national volunteer roles with FSB for six of those years, most recently as National Councillor for the South West.

Volunteer Alexis Lay has been also elected to the position of director, with Gillian MacEwan taking on the role of operations director.

National chair Mike Cherry, advocacy and policy chair Martin McTague and commercial director Stallon, also from Stroud, have all been reappointed uncontested.