Mother-of-five from Cookham made MBE for services to dyslexic people

A mother-of-five  was among the great and the good at Windsor Castle this week to receive one of the highest honours in the country.

Susan Flohr, who lives in Sutton Road, Cookham, with her German husband Gerd, was at the investiture ceremony led by the Queen on Tuesday,  where she was awarded an MBE for services to people with dyslexia.

Also at the event was Lance Corporal Joshua Leakey, of the Parachute Regiment, who received the Victoria Cross for his service in Afghanistan.

Mrs Flohr began working with the British Dyslexia Association in 1990, shortly after one of her children was diagnosed as dyslexic.

For several years she combined her volunteering with the BDA with her work as a teacher, before moving to work full time for the charity, rising to become their helpline and policy manager.

Speaking about her work, she said: “It’s more of a vocation than a job, it’s a 24-hours-a-day job.

“We get calls from all around the world, from teachers and parents and also from children with dyslexia who have now grown up – there’s an immense need to help adults with dyslexia too.”

Eventually, all five of her children were diagnosed with the condition, as well as her husband and herself – not that it was ever allowed to hold them back.

Among her children she can count a fabric designer, a web designer, a hotelier, a night club owner and a doctor.

Her husband was also a successful hotelier, running Flohr’s Hotel in Henley.

Speaking after the ceremony, she said: “It’s very humbling to get the award.

“You feel there are far more deserving people especially when you are standing next to people who have Victoria Crosses.

“Some people must think I’ve made a change to people’s lives and I hope we have but I’ve accepted it on behalf of a team. I couldn’t have done it alone – a wonderful team of people work with me.”