Ron Barden, a leader in further education and a dedicated charity trustee and treasurer, has died at the age of 95. He firmly believed that education was the key to unlocking opportunities for all.
Educational leadership
As principal of Northampton College of Education for nearly 20 years, Ron expanded the range of courses and apprenticeships, and established educational outposts at local prisons. His work with prisoners led to his appointment to the Parole Board in 1985. By the time he retired in 1995, the college had become one of the largest outside metropolitan areas.
Charity and Quaker work
After retiring, Ron immersed himself in charity work, serving as treasurer, chair, and trustee for numerous organisations and schools. He joined the Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1988 and took on key roles within Quaker bodies, also helping to establish The Peace Museum, now located at Salt's Mill in West Yorkshire.
Early life and education
Ron was the youngest of seven children, born in the East End of London to Isaac and Fanny, Jewish immigrants from eastern Europe who ran a corner shop. He won a place at Parmiter's Foundation School in Bethnal Green, but his childhood was disrupted by wartime evacuation when the school was relocated to Norfolk and then Staffordshire. Ron was not a fan of the grammar school system, later writing in the old boys' magazine, the Parmiterian: 'In my career, I was a part of helping many regarded as failures at grammar school to have a second chance to succeed, and for those who did not get to grammar school, a first chance.'
Political and professional career
At 15, Ron joined the Labour Party. He served as a Labour borough councillor in Hackney in the 1950s and was prominent in the Labour League of Youth, where he met his future wife, Eleanor. They married in 1955. Ron's working life included a job at Lloyds Bank, compulsory national service in the RAF, and a research role at the General and Municipal Workers Union (GMB). Encouraged by Eleanor, he took A-levels at evening classes and became the first in his family to enter higher education, studying economics at Southampton University.
Later career and family
After graduating in 1960, Ron pursued a career in education, rising to become principal at Northampton in 1976. He was also a director of Youth Foreign Holiday Service, a business led by Eleanor that provided educational holidays in the UK for German school students, reflecting their shared commitment to fostering international understanding.
Ron was known for his playful sense of humour and a cheeky twinkle in his eye. He enjoyed ballroom dancing, refereeing football, growing vegetables, and performing as an amateur magician. In retirement, he travelled with family and friends to countries including France, Spain, Italy, Japan, Australia, and the US. After Eleanor's death in 2018, he visited Germany and Canada. He retained his inquiring mind and love of reading and tackling the daily crossword until the end of his life.
He is survived by his children, Rosalind, Paul, Martin, and the author, and grandchildren, Ella, Isaac, Ruby, Sarah, and Edie.
