The equality of men and women is a fundamental Baha'i principle - and women have played an extraordinary role in development of the Baha'i community. So it is entirely fitting that the first Baha'i in Maidenhead was a very special woman - Helena Eliza Kempton.

Then in her 99th year, Helena Kempton became a Baha'i on July 9, 1962. Her enrolment as a Baha'i marked the foundation of the Maidenhead Baha'i community.

Helena Kempton knew of the Baha'i Faith through her daughter, Honor Kempton, who had become a Baha'i in San Francisco in 1939. Honor Kempton went on to help found the first Baha'i communities in Alaska and Luxembourg. 

The Maidenhead Baha'i community has grown steadily over the years. The first Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1978, and the first Baha'i marriage in Maidenhead took place a few months later.