Family and friends of Slimming World founder fundraise in walk for Blood Cancer UK

Family and friends of Slimming World founder Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE took part in a sponsored sunset walk in her memory to raise money for Blood Cancer UK last weekend.

Margaret’s daughter Claire Brackenbury and her partner Rob Bentley, son Danny Colbert and his wife Sam, granddaughter Joy Emma Brackenbury-Sgroot, and friends Rebecca Tibbles, Ross Smith and Annie Nightingale donned lights and t-shirts featuring a photo of Margaret to join the 5km Walk of Light in Birmingham on Saturday 29^th March. 

The fundraiser aimed to shine a light on blood cancer and raise vital funds for research. 

Margaret passed away on Sunday 2^nd February in Mallorca, surrounded by family, aged 76. She had a form of leukaemia.  

Margaret is succeeded by her loving children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was the proud owner of several successful businesses in Mallorca and the UK, including Slimming World – the UK’s leading weight-management organisation. 

Margaret, who lived in Mansfield Woodhouse, started Slimming World aged 21 and her determination to help people shed the burden of excess weight without shame or guilt has seen it grow from a single group in 1969. Today it supports around 700,000 members to reach the size and weight they want to be via its groups and online service.   

Fundraising was important to Margaret, who set up the charitable foundation SMILES in 1997, which has since raised more than £30 million. Over the years, she’s been dedicated to supporting the NSPCC (of whom she became a patron), Barnardo’s, Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, Cancer Research UK, the Irish Cancer Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK. Margaret was handed an OBE in 2009 by the then-Prince of Wales, King Charles, for services to the health of the British public and her charitable work. 

Margaret’s daughter Claire, from Forest Town, and the rest of the group wore matching t-shirts featuring a photo of Margaret as they completed the walk. 

She adds: “The picture we used was of Mum on the day she had her first chemotherapy, and she came out smiling and winning. Mum took on every aspect of her cancer with such an inspiring positive mental attitude, which is how she was in all aspects of her life. We want to raise money and awareness for Blood Cancer UK to help others, which is what mum did throughout her life. It’s fitting we wore lights too as she always shone brightly like a diamond!” 

Matthew White, Director of Engagement for Blood Cancer UK says: “Blood cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the UK, with over 40,000 people being diagnosed every year. The group taking part in Walk of Light for Blood Cancer UK has helped to raise vital money to fund life-changing research and provide free support for anyone worried about or living with blood cancer.” 

You can still sponsor the team and help them to raise money in Margaret’s memory and make a difference for people affected by blood cancer: Claire fund raising page is taking part in Walk of Light.