ACP-UK was saddened to hear of the unexpected death of Dr. Ben Campbell on Tuesday 2^nd November.

Ben was a wonderful psychologist: kind, dedicated, and deeply human. He brought many things to the profession; not least his belief that it is the role of clinical psychology to fight for the most marginalised in society. He built his career on the principles of compassionate and equitable care, with a particular focus on homelessness and economic disadvantage. He was part of the #ClassClinPsych collective, looking at the impact of being working-class in clinical psychology. But he didn’t wait until he was qualified to start speaking out about these issues: I first got to know him when, as an assistant psychologist, he was active on social media, already bringing an all-too-rare perspective to the table. Even then, it was clear that there was something uncommonly rare about this tall, softly-spoken man, and that he would shape our profession in important ways. Growing up in Northern Ireland, he had an acute understanding of the devastating impact of systemic violence and oppression, and what the experience of collective trauma does to citizens. And he knew what clinical psychology needed to do better to serve the needs of marginalised people, and to enable those from underrepresented backgrounds to enter the profession. He leaves an important legacy, and one that will endure.

But he was more than that: he was clever and funny; gentle and thoughtful. He knew that life was both valuable and fragile, and he lived it to the full. His laugh was infectious, and he had a grin that could light up a room. He was a good friend and colleague, and the outpouring of affection for him over the past week is entirely justified. He was one of the best of us, and his untimely death is a loss to us all. We send our best wishes to all those who knew and loved him.

Ben was due to co-present a webinar on Class and Clinical Psychology for ACP-UK on Monday 15th November. His speaker fee has been donated to the Mid-Antrim Animal Sanctuary.