From paramedic to palace: Dyslexia advocate raises awareness to new heights

Justin Honey-Jones, who has dyslexia himself, has been a paramedic for 10 years and is also chair of the Hearts for Herts charity, which aims to increase the number of publicly accessible defibrillators in the county.

In May he attended a royal garden party at the Palace, where he had the opportunity to speak to Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh about his work supporting neurodivergent staff in the ambulance service. It was thanks to Justin's efforts that EEAST became the first emergency service in the UK to achieve the British Dyslexia Association’s Silver Employer Award last year.

Prior to becoming a paramedic, Justin was a teacher and continues to work in education to this day. He is set to become the first dual-registered paramedic and specialist dyslexia teacher in the country, as recognised by the British Dyslexia Association.

Justin said: "It took me ten years to get into the ambulance service because I couldn't pass the maths test. It took me 14 years to discover the reason why, because nobody ever assessed me.

"To be invited to a royal garden party was a huge honour. I've worked for the London Ambulance Service, but I've never been inside the palace grounds. To be there, in uniform, talking to a member of the Royal Family about dyslexia – it was the kind of moment that makes everything worthwhile."

Justin's work on dyslexia awareness extends beyond the ambulance service. He was recently the only employer representative at a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dyslexia, alongside representatives from the education sector.

Justin added: "If I can help just one person realise they're not alone, then it's all worth it. I want every dyslexic, every neurodivergent person thinking about joining the NHS, to know there’s no ceiling. You can achieve anything."

Photo caption: Justin Honey-Jones (right) speaking to Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (centre) at Buckingham Palace.