Biography

Dame Anita Roddick, who sadly passed away in September 2007, originally trained as a teacher. She then worked for the UN in Geneva before running a restaurant and hotel in Littlehampton, Sussex.

She started The Body Shop in Brighton in 1976 to create a livelihood for herself and her two daughters while her husband was trekking across the Americas.

She had no training or experience, but economic necessity - combined with the colorful experiences she had gained from her various travels - saw the creation of a successful business dedicated to the pursuit of social and environmental change.

The Body Shop went public in 1984. It has grown from one store in England to a multinational company with nearly 2,000 stores in 50 countries.

Anita Roddick became a Dame in July 2003 for services to retailing, the environment and charity.