THE chief executive of a Taunton-based homeless charity has stepped down after more than eight years at the helm.

Justin Roxburgh prides himself on Arc - previously known as Taunton Association for the Homeless - saving dozens of lives and helping thousands of people during his tenure.

"Ever mindful of reaching a certain age and considering the contributions I have made to help and support vulnerable people in our community, I made the decision to retire," said Mr Roxburgh, who has held chief executive appointments in the charitable sector for 23 years.

"I am not moving to another job as nothing would compare.

"In fact, I believe it is always good to leave on a high. With Arc having been awarded Somerset Charity of the Year, and achieving a Gold standard by Investors in People, it seemed a good time to hand over the reins to someone new to take Arc to even greater heights."

He added: "During my tenure as chief executive, we have saved literally dozens of lives, helped thousands of people find their strengths and break their lives away from being held back from trauma and systemic failures and helped people believe in themselves.

"I leave with mixed emotions, but in the knowledge that Arc is doing an incredible job housing and supporting some of the most vulnerable in our community."

Mr Roxburgh thanked Arc's supporters for their "incredible" generosity and asked them to continue in the same vein.

Arc chairman Lynn Emslie said: "We are sorry to see Justin go and I thank him for the huge achievements and inspirational leadership he brought to Arc."

She added that she had worked with the board at Arc and a recruitment agency to find a suitable replacement for Mr Roxburgh.

As a result, Raj Singh took up the role of chief executive of the charity on March 1.

Ms Emslie said: "Raj comes to Arc with experience of working with homeless people and across local authorities and the charitable sector.

"We look forward to a positive future for Arc as we enter the next chapter."