Parents join Christmas festival tribute to son after Oldbury road tragedy
A Christmas fair went ahead at a community centre in memory of a much-loved volunteer who was killed in a road tragedy.
The Black Country Wellbeing Centre in Upper Gornal, was left shocked after one of its volunteers Ben Corfield died after being hit by a car in Oldbury.
The 19-year-old was a volunteer counsellor at the centre in Vale Street and helped build the centre’s sleigh even dressing up as the Grinch for its tour of local estates.
And so the centre decided to go ahead with its festive event on Saturday called Ben’s Grinchmas Outdoor Christmas Festival in memory of Ben with his parents Damian and Lynette dressing as the Grinch in his place.
Centre director Wade Cooper said: “Ben was always a massive part of our Christmas and when we were in lockdown, we took him out on the sleigh around all the estates dressed as the Grinch in his green car.
“He was fantastic, a big lad and very lovable, smiling all the time and not a bad bone in his body and would be part of the Christmas festival every year, dressed as the Grinch.
“After what happened to him, which was so tragic, we were in two minds whether to do the festival, but we spoke to his parents and asked if we could do it in his memory as we don’t want Christmas to be a sad time.
“They said yes and we plan to do this in his memory every year if we can, with his friends being able to come and think about him.”
Mr Cooper said that from the £1,000 raised from food, drink, tombola and other sales on the night would go towards charities supported by Ben.
He said: “A lot of the kids were wondering who could play the role of the Grinch as it was so difficult for everyone, especially his mum and dad Lynette and Damian, but they came and had the Grinch suits on, which must have been very hard, but was fantastic. We’d like to get a Christmas tree which we can plant and it can stay there and grow as a memorial to Ben.”
Liberty Charris, aged 16, was also killed in the crash on the A457 Oldbury Road on November 20.
A 54-year-old man arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving was released on police bail.
