Slimming World was founded in Alfreton, Derbyshire, in 1969 by Margaret Miles-Bramwell, who sadly died in 2025 following a heroic battle with cancer.
Margaret had struggled with her own weight since childhood and she understood that people who are overweight carry a double burden – the physical burden of excess weight and the sometimes far heavier burden of shame and self-criticism.
Over the years, so much has changed – and so much has stayed the same. Our founding principles haven’t changed. There’s Food Optimising – our uniquely satisfying way of eating, based on the liberating concept of Free Food. And more importantly, there’s our passion for treating every member with genuine care, empathy and respect – putting them and their success at the heart of everything we do.
Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE, Slimming World’s late founder