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

“I bet we are reaching way into the millions now for the reach of the people’s lives she has affected in a positive way.”

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.

Ahead of her funeral on Monday, we take a look at the life and legacy of the entrepreneur, who colleagues have mentioned was “revolutionary” with “a massive 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.

Last 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 workplaces 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.

While shortly after a well being scare and main surgical procedure in 1997, Mrs Miles-Bramwell based the charity Slimmers Making It A Little Easier For Someone (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 Ireland 9 years later.

Mrs Miles-Bramwell acquired an OBE for companies to the well being of the nation and charity, and in 2010 the University 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 save lots of the corporate throughout lockdown.

Mrs Miles-Bramwell was named Business Woman of the Year on the National Business Women’s Awards in 2023, and had been honoured within the Top 100 Influential People 2025.

In the phrases of those that knew her, Mrs Miles-Bramwell needed to “put an end to the shame, guilt, judgement and humiliation faced by those struggling with their weight in 1960s England”.

Marie Gregory mentioned the businesswoman had “made a huge difference to so many lives”.

“You can look at member figures, the people at head office – it’s their families, people who have had children who couldn’t have had children before,” the 43-year-old mentioned.

“I bet we are reaching way into the millions now just for the reach of the people’s lives she has affected in a positive way.”

Ms Gregory, who has been with the corporate almost 14 years, mentioned: “I am not looking forward to Monday because it will be a really hard day.”

Debbie Lockwood has labored for Slimming World for 31 years.

The 61-year-old coaching and growth supervisor described the late entrepreneur as “just gorgeous” and “so much fun”.

“Whenever I think of Margaret, the word laughter is the first thing that comes into my head,” she mentioned.

“She had the wickedest laugh and she was always so much fun to be around.

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

But above all, Mrs Miles-Bramwell had “constructed communities”, said 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 have been by no means going to be humiliated, by no means going to be advised what to do.

“You were absolutely empowered to figure yourself out and do your own thinking, 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 larger than life character, with a fantastic sense of humour, incredibly intelligent and knowledgeable.

“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 still moments when we expect her to walk through the doors, and we realise what a special person we have lost.

“But Margaret’s left an enormous legacy.

“Margaret created a legacy in Slimming World that runs through everything we do so Margaret will still be with us in everything we do going forward.”