Slimming World boss’s weight reduction legacy with 700k members

“I wager we’re reaching approach into the hundreds of thousands now for the attain of the folks’s lives she has affected in a optimistic approach.”

Slimming World boss Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE, 76, died surrounded by her household on 2 February.

Her journey began in a church corridor in Alfreton, Derbyshire, in 1969 – however her enterprise expanded and have become a community of greater than 3,500 consultants and about 700,000 members.

Forward of her funeral on Monday, we take a look at the life and legacy of the entrepreneur, who colleagues have mentioned was “revolutionary” with “an enormous coronary heart”.

Born in April 1948, Mrs Miles-Bramwell was adopted by Emma-Selina and Samuel Birch, and grew up in South Normanton – a mining village in Derbyshire.

Aged 15, she fell pregnant with daughter, Claire, and made a house together with her child’s father, Roy Miles, whom she married in 1964.

In 1977, that they had their second little one collectively, Dominic, and three years later their son Ben was born.

After she and Mr Miles separated, the businesswoman married her late husband Tony Whittaker in 1996, who died in 2021 after being recognized with most cancers and Alzheimer’s illness.

Final month, Mrs Miles-Bramwell died at her residence in Mallorca, Spain.

Mrs Miles-Bramwell’s funeral will happen on Monday at Derby Cathedral and forward of the service, her cortege will go away her residence in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire, and head to Slimming World’s places of work in Alfreton.

Professionally, Mrs Miles-Bramwell began small, in a church corridor in Alfreton the place she had her first slimming group in 1969.

In 1988, it opened its a thousandth group – and had 5,000 teams eight years later.

The entrepreneur funded analysis on macronutrients 1996 – in relation to weight administration, their power density and satiety for Slimming World’s meals optimising consuming plan.

Whereas shortly after a well being scare and main surgical procedure in 1997, Mrs Miles-Bramwell based the charity Slimmers Making It A Little Simpler For Somebody (SMILES) which raised greater than £30m for charities.

In 2000, Slimming World pioneered the first-ever NHS weight administration referral scheme, and opened its first teams within the Republic of Eire 9 years later.

Mrs Miles-Bramwell obtained an OBE for companies to the well being of the nation and charity, and in 2010 the College of Derby awarded her an honorary grasp’s diploma.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, she launched emergency monetary reserves to Slimming World and its marketing consultant franchisees to avoid wasting the corporate throughout lockdown.

Mrs Miles-Bramwell was named Enterprise Lady of the 12 months on the Nationwide Enterprise Ladies’s Awards in 2023, and had been honoured within the High 100 Influential Individuals 2025.

Within the phrases of those that knew her, Mrs Miles-Bramwell needed to “put an finish to the disgrace, guilt, judgement and humiliation confronted by these battling their weight in Nineteen Sixties England”.

Marie Gregory mentioned the businesswoman had “made an enormous distinction to so many lives”.

“You possibly can take a look at member figures, the folks at head workplace – it is their households, individuals who have had youngsters who could not have had youngsters earlier than,” the 43-year-old mentioned.

“I wager we’re reaching approach into the hundreds of thousands now only for the attain of the folks’s lives she has affected in a optimistic approach.”

Ms Gregory, who has been with the corporate practically 14 years, mentioned: “I’m not wanting ahead to Monday as a result of will probably be a extremely exhausting day.”

Debbie Lockwood has labored for Slimming World for 31 years.

The 61-year-old coaching and improvement supervisor described the late entrepreneur as “simply attractive” and “a lot enjoyable”.

“At any time when I consider Margaret, the phrase laughter is the very first thing that comes into my head,” she mentioned.

“She had the wickedest snort and she or he was at all times a lot enjoyable to be round.

“Margaret was so enthusiastic about members – that was her old flame, ensuring our members get the service they deserve.”

However above all, Mrs Miles-Bramwell had “constructed communities”, mentioned Ms Lockwood.

“Margaret knew – she was so intelligent in 1969 – that is what folks wanted, a neighborhood of slimmers who by no means judged you, you had been by no means going to be humiliated, by no means going to be instructed what to do.

“You had been completely empowered to determine your self out and do your personal considering, and that was revolutionary.”

Rebecca Robinson, a 50-year-old director of communications, mentioned Mrs Miles-Bramwell left an enormous legacy.

Ms Robinson, who has been with the corporate for greater than 20 years, added: “She was a bigger than life character, with a incredible sense of humour, extremely clever and educated.

“She was stuffed with integrity, an enormous coronary heart, and she or he actually would mild up the room when she got here in.

“There are nonetheless moments once we count on her to stroll by the doorways, and we realise what a particular individual we now have misplaced.

“However Margaret’s left an enormous legacy.

“Margaret created a legacy in Slimming World that runs by every thing we achieve this Margaret will nonetheless be with us in every thing we do going ahead.”