History

Basingstoke and North Hampshire Industrial Mission (BANHIM)

BANHIM came into being in 1984 under the leadership of Rev Brian Leighley. Good working relationships were quickly established with managements and workforces of several significant employers in Basingstoke, as well as with the unions, the world of education and Christian denominations in the town. A number of seminars and workshops were also held that laid the groundwork for the expansion of the work that was to follow.

A separate chaplain was appointed for Andover in 1997 and BANHIM’s work in Andover began to flourish and expand.

To reflect this expansion the name was formally changed to Basingstoke Andover and North Hampshire Industrial Mission, while keeping the BANHIM acronym.

Chaplaincy work also began to develop within the retail sector in the Town Centre of Basingstoke and in 2000 a part-time person was appointed as chaplain to Basingstoke Town Centre working in the newly opened Festival Place. At the same time a small team of volunteer chaplains also began working in the Town Centre and in ASDA Supermarket on Brighton Hill in Basingstoke

BANHIM continued until November 2009 when it formally came to an end, due largely to the loss of denominational funding.

Basingstoke Town Chaplaincy

In 2009 the volunteer Chaplains began to explore new models of chaplaincy, with a view to beginning a new work in Basingstoke. After much prayer and thought, the vision was shared with Church leaders in the town. It was decided to proceed by working with a different model of chaplaincy, similar to that used by Watford Town Centre Chaplaincy. So Basingstoke Town Chaplaincy come into being.

The Basingstoke Town Chaplaincy is an activity of the Starfish Enterprise Trust. Click here to see the aims and objectives of the Starfish Enterprise Trust.