Tributes to Ben Bano RIP

Ben Bano

Ben Bano - 3 February 1950 -16 June 2026

Tributes have been pouring in to Ben Bano, a former mayor and long-serving town councillor in Deal, Kent and a member of Seeking Sanctuary, supporting migrants and asylum seekers. Ben Bano died on June 16 with his family by his side.

Mr Bano was widowed with three children. His daughter, Sophie Skardon, said: "Our father was a very kind and generous man with his time. He had a lifelong commitment to seeking the best in humanity and working tirelessly for peace and justice. He was the voice for those who couldn't speak out.

"As our father, it's the legacy he leaves for the town and community, and how that has shaped us.

Above everything, he was a family man. He was much loved and he will be much missed by Jerome, Sebastian and myself."

Phil Kerton writes: Ben started chemotherapy treatment for a lymphoma: I think without any great expectation of a sudden cure, but more of a likely of delay in its spread. After two doses he was afflicted by a rash over most of his upper body, for which he was treated, but soon died.

He phoned me about eight days before his death to ask me, if he died (which I was not expecting), to make sure that people heard about his long commitment to peace and justice (not solely about the specific campaigns from which he might be better known), and about the inspiration of the Dominican Peace Preaching Course which he took part in at Cambridge in 1974. This was not a course for clerics wanting to compose sermons, but for anyone of goodwill who wished to influence people for the better by communicating the paths of peace.

I first heard of Ben from Dan Martin in the early 1980s, when I was initially involved in the operation of the Kent Diocesan Area Justice and Peace Group, part of the Southwark Archdiocese J&P Commission. Dan, the Southwark Fieldworker and a leading member of Catholic Peace Action, got in touch to let me know that a Christian CND member and very committed peace activist was about to move to Kent, where he might prove useful.

Christian CND was noted for its distinctive creative projects, some inspired by the Dominican Peace Course, and suffered less from the effects of internal CND politics which could head for acrimony. It developed the use of Christian symbolism and terminology to stimulate a theological interpretation of the nuclear arms race, such as the Easter pilgrimage from Greenham to the Lakenheath base in East Anglia, or the sprinkling of ashes of repentance at key sites.

Later, Ben took an interest in the vast numbers of WW1 War Graves on the other side of the Channel, noting the separate areas devoted to some Colonial volunteers and the "Shot at Dawn" cells near the main square in Poperinge, Belgium, Here, men found guilty at court-martial for military offences (perhaps more to provide a warning to others than because of carefully established guilt?), were securely detained prior to execution in the neighbouring yard.

Later, Ben was often able to provide appropriate prayers or songs at gatherings, and was instrumental in getting plaques erected on the Dover seafront in memory of those who had lost their lives hoping to reach Britain and escape from violence and poverty. These provide a focus for acts of remembrance, floral tributes and (usually video-recorded) gatherings of sympathisers and speakers, who have included Bishop Trevor Willmott, Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop Paul McAleenan and a Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Kent.

Ben followed a fruitful employed life after gaining an MSc in Applied Social Studies at Oxford, following his BSc degree at Southampton, later accompanied by a Diploma in Management Studies. He formally qualified as a social worker in 1975 - a time of change in UK Social Work, when fragmented welfare, children's, and adult services were unified in Social Services Departments, employing generic teams.

Ben's career concentrated upon the field of Mental Health Social Work, alongside promoting the interface of health and social care in both Adult and Older Adult Services. In 2002 he was appointed as Director of Older People's services in the East Kent Mental Health Partnership Trust, remaining until his retirement in September 2005, having seen almost 40 years of employment in the field of social care.

A passionate champion of holistic approaches, Ben believed deeply in recognising the whole person. His widely respected programme, See ME Rather Than Dementia, encouraged NHS staff and mental health professionals to look beyond diagnosis to see the dignity, identity and humanity of every individual. He made a lasting contribution to the education of Approved Mental Health Professionals and was recognised by the College of Social Work for the quality of his training.

Ben's influence extended well beyond the classroom. As Chair of the National Spirituality and Mental Health Forum, he worked tirelessly to promote the vital role of spirituality in mental health and dementia care. Ben is remembered not only for his professional achievements but also for his warmth, wisdom, humility and unwavering belief that every person deserves to be seen, heard and valued.

Subsequently, Ben was involved in training and organisational development, and in January 2007 he established his own company, Telos Training Ltd. He took a particular interest in person centred approaches to dementia and was involved in training Care Management staff and Social Workers as well as care workers. In 2012 he established a new Community Interest Company, 'Welcome Me as I Am', to help Faith Communities understand and meet the spiritual needs of people with mental health issues and dementia.

Telos clients included a number of County Councils and London Boroughs, and several NHS Trusts. 'Welcome Me as I Am' Clients included several Catholic dioceses and other religious groups. He project managed a DVD training resource aimed at staff in care settings for people with dementia to support them in understanding and meeting the spiritual needs of residents, and in 2011 he engaged in a major Church based training programme in Spirituality and Mental Health. (Further details at www.welcomemeasiam.org.uk ).

Unknown to many, he was a frequent speaker and workshop facilitator at Sarum College (a place of ecumenical theological education in Salisbury, UK). He regularly led sessions focusing on pastoral care, mental health, and the intersection of faith with social issues, strong on mission, inclusion, and the rights of vulnerable populations. His work at Sarum College often involved themes of social justice, intercultural theology, and pastoral support. For example, he led workshops on the themes of "Seeking Sanctuary" and of navigating conversations across difficult political divides.

Ben was very appreciative of his non-British ancestors. His father hailed from Villach, in Austria, and his mother (of Jewish descent) from territory that is now in Poland: they had come to Britain when Hitler's ideology started to take root. His heritage demonstrated the futility and suffering of war and influenced his interest in Holocaust Memorial Days, which he frequently supported and publicised. Likewise, he gained a strong appreciation of the witness of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Protestant Pastor imprisoned and executed by the Nazis.

Ben will not only be remembered for his professional achievements, but also for his warmth, wisdom, humility and unwavering belief that every person deserves to be seen, heard and valued. His legacy lives on in the countless practitioners he taught, the people he supported and the many lives he touched through his work and friendship.

Further tributes

"This is devastating news. Ben's integrity, vision and love for justice will live in our hearts and actions. He thought us to be agents of change and to carry our vision with intention, passion and grit."

"Ben was a lovely man and he made a great contribution to Catholic social thought and action over many years. I'm sure he'll be missed by many."

"Heaven will be rejoicing to welcome a soul of great kindness and compassion. With our prayers now for all who are grieving the loss of such a kind man."

"Very sad news, Ben did such good work in many fields, God rest his soul."

"He was such a lovely man committed to fighting for refugee rights."

"The man was a giant in his gentleness. A strong and passionate voice for justice especially through Seeking Sanctuary. We will miss you Ben, the like of whom we will never see again. Rest in Peace, my friend, and Rise in Glory."

"He was the most kind and gentle man, who bore the load of the many crosses of human frailty and worked tirelessly to make the world a better and more civilised place."

"Such a sad loss of a wonderfully kind soul: May his legacy live on."

"Ben, you were a great friend and a man of faith. You aspired to be a good man which is all we can aspire to be - you achieved that.

Ben found time to pray for yet more of God's children. For example, in 2024 he wrote:

"As I write these words a man is lying in the death cell of of a prison in Georgia, just six hours away from his execution in the room next door. The last appeal for clemency failed yesterday. Willie Pye is Black and has spent the last 31 years in prison following the murder of his ex girl-friend. He has a low IQ of 64 and at his trial he was poorly represented by a lawyer, leading to his appeal at first being granted and then overturned. Georgia has resumed executions after a gap of four years and we are all overwhelmed by the sheer inhumanity of this execution, which will take place using a lethal injection.

"I have had the privilege of being Willie's pen-friend over the last thirteen years. I will remember him for his generosity of spirit and his deep faith. We have supported each other through challenging times.

As a man of deep faith I am certain that the good Lord will welcome him with open arms. It is symbolic that the execution will take place so near to Good Friday when we remember the words 'Father forgive'."

"Ben was not without love of traditional devotions, having attended the diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes on several occasions - and made an impression by leading discussions on the problems facing asylum seekers seeking refuge in Europe. In recent years, he gained much solace by becoming a member of the Community of the Passion: a dispersed, contemporary order of Roman Catholic people associated with the Passionist Province of Ireland and Britain. Blending active everyday lives with deep spiritual connection, the community focuses on prayer, missionary discipleship, and practical solidarity with the marginalised. Members engage in both local meetings and regional gatherings. They support one another through shared prayer, theological reflection, and identifying signs of hope in their daily routines."

"'Ben' is actually short for 'Benet', which in turn is a traditional abbreviation of Benedict - Benjamin has nothing to do with it! He married Marie Claude Perrot, a French lady from Paris, ten years his senior. She suffered a severe stroke in November 2016 and Ben cared for her devotedly until her death five years later. Like him, she was greatly attached to the work of CCND and the UNA, as well as to welcoming refugees. They are survived by Jerome, Sophie and Sebastian. She had a brother, Jean Perrot, who was a worker priest in Paris, and a source some interest and influence for Ben.

"Alongside his family life, Ben was concerned for the community where he lived, and was elected for some years as a Labour candidate to both the Dover District Council and the Deal Town Council, where he served a term as Mayor."

"'Project Bonhoeffer', is a relatively recent interest of Ben's, where he became a Trustee in 2023, being encouraged by the former Labour Minister, Sir John Battle. The Project is a small organisation set up in 2011 to inform and remind today's Christians - young and not-so-young - of the challenges of discipleship that Dietrich Bonhoeffer addressed in his radical theology and in his Christian witness leading to his execution at the hands of the Nazis at the end of the Second World War."

"In association with Sarum College, in 2025, Ben completed dissertation of MTh quality focusing on Christian resistance to the Third Reich. His academic view looks at the ways within which the Kantian tradition of humanistic German philosophy descended into the authoritarianism of the Nazi State, and looks for lessons for modern times. The 35,000-word text is entitled 'Christian Voices of Courage in Nazi Germany - A legacy for Modern Day Christian Activists'.

"Ben was aware that I often drove through Calais on my way to meetings in Continental Europe. He, like me, being a fluent French speaker had the habit of making occasional visits to try to assess the status of unwelcome migrants heading for the UK. He gathered goods to leave with them, in particular, warm clothes, toiletries and bedding, which were stored in his garage. Occasionally, knowing that I saw a bit of Calais, he would share observations, until one day in 2015 he called me to say that his garage had overflowed into the house and Marie-Claude was going to move things to the council tip if he took no action!

"I made my way down to the A2 junction above Dover, where goods were transferred to my car, in which I crossed to Calais with instructions of how to find the vestiare des migrants in which ladies from Secours Catholique sorted items to hand over to needy migrants. This operated in a redundant school hall not far from the Place des Armes. There was no electric power or running water, so goods were sorted in semi-darkness and clients were admitted in small numbers on two afternoons a week.

"This arrangement did not last much longer and the Secours operation managed to build an impressive Day Centre, and in addition two other large warehouses opened, run by multi-national volunteer teams. Ben suggested that we should supply these operations under the banner of "Seeking Sanctuary", and as the famous "Jungle" grew, regular visits to Calais soon became the norm. We got to know the attendees at the Orthodox Church, supplying them with offcuts of red carpet to brighten the interior, and specialised in taking books for use in the nearby jungle schools.

"Our particular ministry was - and remains - to provide monthly newsletters largely based upon reports in the French media to provide a different view of what was going on. At that time, most of the irregular Channel crossings were made by people who gathered at night to hide in (or perilously beneath) vehicles or railway wagons. We were each often interviewed on local and regional radio and TV and on national religious channels, and contributed articles to Church newspapers (now largely extinct), including a few annual reviews as centre spreads for the Universe."

The funeral of Ben Bano will take place on Monday, 20th July at 11.30am at St Thomas of Canterbury Church, in Deal, Kent.

The service will be followed by a burial at Deal Cemetery and a reception at Deal Town Hall.