Slimming world founder and chair Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE legacy will live on and continue to change lives for years to come.

At Slimming World we want Margaret’s legacy to live on. To work with a company whose mission and vision it is to create a healthy and happy world. We want to reach out to more people and let them know they are not alone and we can support them to make changes.

We have groups available everyday of the week in Portsmouth and surrounding areas with lots of opportunities for more groups to be opened. If you have been a member or you are currently a member, know the power of our group support and would love to help and inspire people to lose weight, get healthy and just improve their wellbeing our consultant role is an incredible role for the right person.

Continue reading to find out how Slimming World was born and how Margaret has continued to invest time, effort and finances to make it what it is today.

Slimming World consultant from Havant Andi Denyer Willis shares the incredible sense of pride she feels for working with a company that’s mission is to create healthy and happy world.

"I am a slimmer first and Slimming World changed my life. Supporting me to lose 6 and a half stone. Become a healthy energetic mum to my three beautiful children. Helping them to learn healthy habits from a young age. Building confidence I never knew I had."

Margaret started a small business in an Alfreton church hall 55 years ago – a slimming group with a revolutionary eating plan and a support system designed to put an end to the shame, guilt, judgement and humiliation faced by those struggling with their weight in 1960s England.

Although Margaret never felt comfortable referring to herself as a ‘businesswoman’, it was a term she grew to accept, as she resiliently and tirelessly worked to grow the UK and Republic of Ireland’s most loved and trusted weight loss organisation – Slimming World.

Her intensive study in behavioural psychology – together with her deeply personal understanding of the mental and emotional challenges faced by people who struggle with their weight – enabled Margaret to further develop her powerful group support model, IMAGE Therapy, which she had pioneered nearly two decades before.

In 1996, Margaret funded ground-breaking research on macronutrients in relation to weight management, on their energy density and satiety to further strengthen Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan.

Supported by a growing team of loyal and dedicated staff, the company was able to open new groups at a steady rate and move to a purpose-built Head Office and Consultant training facility in Somercotes, Derbyshire, where Slimming World’s Head Office remains today.

One of the most special moments in Margaret’s life happened in 2009, when she received the OBE for services to the health of the nation and to charity – a defining moment in her career and in the history of Slimming World.

In 2010, Margaret was awarded an honorary Masters degree from the University of Derby, which led to the creation of the ‘Miles-Bramwell Chair in Behaviour Change and Weight Management’ – giving Slimming World’s research specialists further opportunities to study the scientific complexities of obesity and lifelong weight loss.

Andi went on to become a Slimming World consultant in November 2019, just before the pandemic hit. Slimming World and Margaret made sure to look after each Consultant so they could continue to support each member with their weight loss.

"I felt so lucky to be able to continue helping members. It was a scary time for all but in a world full of uncertainty my members knew they could log on to zoom at the same time every week for some normality.

"We were addressing a new normal and at the time we needed as much support as we could get with the same principle of absolutely no judgement. With other jobs lots of people were being made redundant but with Slimming World they put plans in place so training could still continue. They put a fantastic support package in place, which as a self employed franchisee really did show how much each consultant and member was valued," says Andi

In 2020, when the global pandemic forced our countries into lockdown, Margaret unflinchingly released emergency financial reserves to Slimming World and its Consultant franchisees – supporting and ultimately saving the company from the biggest ever threat to its existence. So strong was her determination to continue Slimming World’s work helping members find health and happiness – as well as protect and nurture the careers she’d helped to create in her teams of field managers and Head Office employees.

Just weeks before she passed away, Margaret was honoured in the prestigious Top 100 Influential People 2025. The awards shine a spotlight on people from a broad range of sectors who impact society and make the world a better place – which couldn’t have been truer of Margaret.

She said: "This recognition is not just for me, but for the thousands of dedicated Slimming World Consultants across the UK and Ireland who know exactly how their members feel and support them 24/7. And I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without our incredible members who have not only committed to making healthy changes to their own and their family’s lives, but support Slimming World in our many charity endeavours, helping us to improve the lives of even more people.

"I know how it feels to be burdened with your weight – not just the physical weight, but the burden of shame and guilt too. I built Slimming World not just to support people to lose weight without ever having to go hungry, but to be a place of compassion and empathy which empowers members and helps them grow in confidence and believe in themselves again.

"There’s so much in the news at the minute about these so-called miracle weight loss drugs. I can understand why people who are desperate to lose weight will want to find a quick fix. They may help in the short-term, but drugs won’t help a person change habits of a lifetime. They won’t help them embrace a healthy balanced diet and they certainly won’t promote the importance of physical activity for long term weight maintenance and lasting healthy habits."

The judging panel from the Top 100 Influential People 2025 commented: "It is inspirational to read about Margaret’s journey and her achievements, showcasing resilience and a commitment to positive change. Margaret’s work in setting up and developing Slimming World is legendary." We couldn’t agree more!

Are you kind and caring? Do you have a desire to support people? Are you motivating and uplifting. This could be the role for you.

Would you like to work with a company whose mission it is to make the world a healthier and happier place?

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Become a Slimming World Consultant | Slimming World

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