Kenneth Bloomfield facts for kids
Sir Kenneth Percy Bloomfield (born April 15, 1931, died May 30, 2025) was an important public servant from Northern Ireland. He worked for the government for many years. Sir Kenneth was the leader of the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS). This is like being the top manager for all government workers in Northern Ireland. He also helped find missing people as part of a special group. For a while, he was also the Northern Ireland Victims Commissioner, helping people affected by conflict.
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Early Life and Education
Kenneth Percy Bloomfield was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on April 15, 1931. His parents were from England. He grew up in East Belfast, near a place called Neill's Hill railway station.
From 1943 to 1949, he went to a school called the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. People often called this school 'Inst'. After school, he studied History at St Peter's College, Oxford University in England. Sir Kenneth was married and had two children.
Working for the Government
Sir Kenneth Bloomfield started working for the government in 1952. This is called the Civil Service. In 1974, he became a top official for a special government group. This group was set up to share power in Northern Ireland.
After this group ended, he became a senior leader for other government departments. He worked for the Department of the Environment and the Department of Economic Development. On December 1, 1984, he became the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. This was the most important job for a government worker in Northern Ireland.
In this role, he gave advice to important government leaders. He advised the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and other ministers. He helped them with many different issues. Sir Kenneth retired from this important job in April 1991.
After Retirement
After leaving the Civil Service, Sir Kenneth stayed very busy. He joined many different groups and organizations. For example, he became the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission. He also became the Chairman of his old school, the Royal Belfast Academical Institution.
He also helped with changes to the government in the States of Jersey. Sir Kenneth led a group called the Association for Quality Education. This group worked to keep academic selection in schools. This means they wanted schools to choose students based on their test results.
In December 1997, a government minister asked him to help victims of conflict. He became the Northern Ireland Victims Commissioner for a set time. His job was to write a report about how to help these victims. His report was called We Will Remember Them and came out in April 1998. From 1991 to 1999, he also worked for the BBC. He was the BBC's main representative for Northern Ireland.
Awards and Recognition
Sir Kenneth Bloomfield received a special award called a Knighthood in 1987. This meant he could use the title "Sir." He also received special degrees from several universities. These included The Queen's University of Belfast, The Open University, and the University of Ulster. He was also a member of the Royal Irish Academy.
Books by Sir Kenneth
Sir Kenneth Bloomfield wrote several books during his life:
- A New Life (2008)
- A Tragedy of Errors (2007)
- We will remember them (1998)
- Stormont in Crisis, a memoir (1994)
- "The BBC at the Watershed" (2008)
See also
