John Flanner MBE to Receive MBE at Buckingham Palace
West Midlands’ speaker and author, John Flanner MBE, who was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2014, is heading to Buckingham Palace on 13 February to be presented with his Award.
The MBE is recognition of John’s ability to conquer fear and blindness at the age of nineteen to achieve outstanding success in his personal and professional life and follows a Civil Service Outstanding Achievement Award in 2006 for his services to Equality and Diversity.
John Flanner MBE said:
"This is an incredible honour and I am indebted to senior managers and work colleagues at HMRC who have encouraged me and allowed me time away from my regular job to go out and about to undertake Diversity and motivational work."
The National Civil Service Diversity Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of ordinary civil servants who have made a major contribution to the development of greater diversity and equality in the Civil Service.
John was given the Outstanding Achievement Award after he single-handedly pioneered a series of transformational talks based on his life-story and successful book, ‘Fear, Fun and Faith’, that he has delivered to thousands of people nationwide.
John spent the early part of his life as a normal teenager, enjoying a love and passion for Aston Villa Football Club, as well as cherishing a desire to become a professional footballer.
His hopes and dreams seemed to have been tragically cut short when he developed Leber’s Optic Atrophy, an hereditary condition, which has affected three other members of his family, from which there is no cure, and he was forced to face the reality of being permanently blind at the tender age of nineteen.
John’s disarming, honest, and mesmerizing account of his experiences leaves positively charged business environments, and challenges misconceptions about diversity and what it takes to get ahead!
His life-changing message has been delivered to businesses, the Cabinet Office and the Treasury. John has also held regular slots on BBC Radio and has appeared on Central Television.
John recently launched a new motivational speaking business in Solihull called ‘John Flanner MBE’. For more information contact 07717 283116, email John@Flanner.co.uk, or visit the website at www.JohnFlanner.co.uk.