Bench unveiled in honour of civic hero

A special bench has been unveiled by the Mayor of Dudley in honour of a former chair of the Dudley Youth Council who tragically died aged just 19.

Ben Corfield lost his life in a road traffic incident in November 2022.

The teenager was the former chair of the Dudley Youth Council and Dudley’s representative on the Youth Parliament.

The Mayor of Dudley today unveiled a bench in his honour in Coronation Gardens, Dudley, a year on from his tragic death. Councillor Andrea Goddard, Mayor of Dudley, said: 

“What Ben managed to achieve in such a tragically short life is truly astounding and it is only right we honour him and his work with a bench in the shadow of the council house.

“It was a real honour to be asked to do this today and I hope we can inspire other young people to help others in their communities. Ben was a real civic hero.”

Ben also ran for the position of Dudley’s youth police crime commissioner, volunteered at the Black Country Wellbeing Centre and was an active Street Watch member.

His parents Damian and Lynette Corfield were also at the touching civic ceremony to pay tribute to their son, 12 months on from the tragedy.