A BASINGSTOKE businessman and former police officer has been appointed chairman of Basingstoke Multicultural Forum.

Shibaji Shrestha was confirmed in his new role at a meeting last month.

Mr Shrestha, a former police officer during the Nepal civil troubles, is a local businessman who has been on the board of the BMF for the past three years.

A governor of Cranbourne School and an advisor to the Basingstoke Nepali Community, Mr Shrestha has been a resident of Basingstoke since 2014 and in the UK since 2004.

Mr Shreshtha is involved in local community charities and their initiatives, including Diabetes UK, for the homeless people of Basingstoke, charity walks for St Michael Hospice and run for life programmes for Cancer, UK.

The BMF thanks all its members, communities, local agencies and authorities for their support during these challenging times and wish Mr Shreshtha all the very best in his continued endeavours for furthering the mission and mandate of the BMF.

The Basingstoke Multicultural Forum serves as an umbrella organisation for communities of diverse cultures, ethnicity and religion, whose mandate is to build bridges that bring communities together for a stronger and more cohesive Basingstoke. BMF strives to promote inclusion, social cohesion and respect for diversity amongst the different communities in Basingstoke.