Tributes for our founder
Betty Martindale
With great sadness we announce that our Founder, Betty Martindale has died at the age of 91.
Betty continued to teach lessons at Ashford Dyslexia Centre until 2018 and her dedication and expertise in the field of dyslexia has touched the lives of hundreds of families since she opened the Centre in September 1989.
Betty’s family would be delighted to receive tributes from Betty’s past pupils and those whose lives were made easier with her help.
Tributes can be posted using the 'Contact us' form below and will be passed to her family.
Betty’s funeral will take place at Wye Church on Wednesday 30th April at 2.00pm.
All are welcome.
"Betty was a longstanding member of Patoss. As the founder of the Ashford Dyslexia Centre in 1989 she used her sensitive talent to build the centre and assure support for many dyslexic learners. She has left a positive legacy in the Centre which continues under the direction of Renate Beerling and her colleagues."
Lynn Greenwold, OBE
I have known Betty since August 2013 when I joined the Ashford Dyslexia team, which comprised at that time of Betty, Renate and Tricia. It was a pleasure to work with Betty; she was always very professional and kind to those around her.
She started the Ashford Dyslexia Centre in 1989 and she served so many people in the community of Kent from that date until the time came for her to stop working. Because of Betty, the Centre is still thriving today and she will be fondly remembered by the many people whose lives she changed for the better. Her dedication to the cause of dyslexia was absolute.
I will always have very fond memories of Betty and Cliff and send my condolences to her family.
Maureen
Betty Martindale inspired me! She had founded and established Ashford Dyslexia Centre in the local community 23 years prior to my joining the team. The Centre was somewhat ‘nomadic’ in that it had been uprooted and moved around the town many times. Betty was undaunted by this and determined to continue to provide much needed dyslexia services via a 24/7 helpline, which she personally administered; together with specialist dyslexia services delivered at the Centre. Betty’s dedication and determination touched my heart. She was my role-model. When she decided to retire at the age of 85, she asked for my commitment to continue her legacy and build ADC and the team is still here, delivering the services that Betty inspired, mindful of her wishes and her passion for dyslexia support.
Dear Betty, rest in peace with your devoted husband Cliff. Your flag is still flying!
Renate
Betty has left her legacy on Ashford and the surrounding area through the many children and young people with dyslexia she has supported, enabling them to succeed and thrive. As a result, these children and young people continue to use the Ashford Dyslexia Centre, now bringing their own children for diagnosis and lessons. Betty founded the Centre in 1989, and it continues in much the same way, meeting individual needs through an effective structured, cumulative, and multi-sensory approach. Betty dedicated herself to the Centre (it was her passion) and provided countless hours of advice to adults and parents of dyslexic children seeking help and reassurance. She was committed, inspiring and a wealth of expert knowledge. May she now rest in peace with her beloved Cliff.
Gay Adam, Specialist Teacher & Assessor
When Betty was looking for a venue for her dyslexia centre my partners and I had just purchased the premises recently vacated by the doctors at Lower Hayebank to extend our dental practice. There were a couple of spare rooms. My son had recently been confirmed as being extremely dyslexic and was in need of some support. We offered one of the rooms to Betty and thus the Ashford Dyslexia Centre was born. The Centre was officially opened by Duncan Goodhew the Olympic Gold Medal swimmer. Betty helped many children and more than a few adults to find ways to cope with their dyslexia, which in the 1980s was not recognised by many educationalists as a problem which could be addressed and ways around it developed for each child. As a result of Betty’s teaching both my son and daughter have developed separate successful businesses as have many of the other students who attended. Betty, supported by her late husband Cliff were instrumental in giving many youngsters who had been written off as being thick slow, lazy or stupid, the confidence to progress through life and make the most of the many strategies she enabled them to adopt. At present, one of TVs most recognised actors can probably credit Betty for helping him in his early career.
Thank you Betty.
John Hardie
Betty's decision to give up a highly successful career with Kent Education and set up her own centre devoted to the assessment and teaching of dyslexic children was a momentous one for all of us. Her knowledge, skill, dedication, determination and, not least, kindliness has changed the lives of thousands of children and adults who have turned to her for advice, help and support over subsequent years. It has not only been the children and adults who attended for assessments or teaching who have benefited but parents, other relatives and friends, teachers in schools, further and higher education, employers, work colleagues and more. Betty's standards were consistently high. Those chosen to work alongside her considered it to be something of an honour and consequently strived to maintain those standards. Her appreciation and quiet support was always on hand. But above all Betty is remembered with love. Rest in Peace.
Tricia Spain - Former tutor and assessor at Ashford Dyslexia Centre