Latest news with #AnitaRoddick
Times
04-08-2025
- Times
‘Rave church' leader had late-night massages with female followers
A former Anglican priest accused of sexually assaulting 'a staggering number of women' told a court how he had late night massages as a way of enjoying closeness with female followers. Chris Brain, 68, who led the radical Nine O'Clock Service (NOS) in Sheffield in the 1980s and 1990s, told Inner London crown court the movement was a radical experiment in religion which embraced the club culture of the time. He was asked by his defence counsel, Iain Simkin KC, 'why on earth' as a married Church of England minister he was having repeated massages from a group of women. Brain replied: 'Why not?' NOS was widely admired by Church of England leaders who saw it as a successful way of attracting younger congregations to religion. They were so impressed that Brain's ordination as a priest was fast-tracked. At the height of its success, Brain said NOS had ambitious plans to expand its rave-style services to California, won financial backing from Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, and was expecting support from Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. But the movement collapsed in 1995 amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Almost three decades later, former NOS members made complaints to police, leading to an investigation and criminal charges. Brain, 68, denies one count of rape and 36 charges of indecent assault involving 13 women who were members of NOS. The prosecution alleges the women were unable to freely consent to repeated sexual contact with Brain because he was a domineering figure who ran NOS as a cult. The women feared that if they rejected Brain, they would be ostracised. Brain denied that he was a 'controlling maniac' who exercised huge power over the lives of NOS members including their finances, their marriages and their working lives. While he was leading NOS, Brain had the support of a 'homebase team' of young women who looked after him, his wife, their baby daughter and the family dog. The women were referred to as 'the Lycra lovelies' because they wore tight black clothing and lingerie while doing their duties. Brain said he did not tell the women what to wear. 'At that time in the late Eighties everybody was obsessed with fashion and what to wear,' he said. 'I wasn't prescribing what to wear, it was completely normal for that era and that place'. He said some team members gave him massages late at night but this was not part of their duties. The practice developed because he suffered tension headaches but Brain conceded the contact often became sexual. Brain said he was 'celebrating sexuality' and exploring ideas from kundalini yoga of using 'sexual energy to enhance the whole of life'. Asked how often the massages became sexual, Brain said: 'Very, very rarely, with very close friends it might edge towards that, but both parties knew it shouldn't go there so one of us would pull back again and cool down. 'It worked, having closeness with friends. It was a great way to get close to friends whilst not involving direct sexual contact. And of course, I was married.' He added: 'This was the peak of the rave boom, it was club culture and we were holding onto that as much as we could. It was a very touchy environment.' The NOS movement had emerged from a Christian rock band, Tense, which was part of the Sheffield music scene. Brain said the members of the band formed a fellowship group because they felt alienated from the traditional Anglican congregation, which was more 'like a fancy golf club'. The trial continues.
The Sun
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Iconic British high street chain DEMOLISHES its HQ after shutting 75 shops & being pulled out of administration
A MAJOR British chain has demolished its headquarters over a year after going into administration. The brand also closed 75 locations and cut 800 jobs as part of the process. 3 3 However, now The Body Shop has been saved from administration and is even said to be making a comeback with shoppers. More than half of the brand's Sussex headquarters have been knocked down by contractors. Earlier this year, plans were submitted to the local council to demolish and replace the building. This came after The Body Shop announced in October 2024 that it was relocating its headquarters. The headquarters for the high street brand is now located in the Plus X Innovation Hub near the University of Brighton. saved from administration in September 2024. According to The Argus, two of sculptures were stolen from the site during the demolition. The outlet reported on the alleged theft after resident Body Shop sculptor Giles Penny spoke out about his artwork going missing. He shared his hope that the remaining art at the site can be revitalised and reused for a tribute to The Body Shop founder Anita Roddick. The Body Shop has deep roots in Brighton and Sussex before expanding globally since its first store opened in Kensington Gardens in 1976. Since then the business has undergone a whirlwind few decades before going into administration last year. The announcement shocked fans of the company, which was reportedbto be worth £207 million in 2023. Now back with a bang, the sustainable beauty brand plans to keep all remaining 113 stores open. The Body Shop even cashed in a healthy £2 million in profit during its first three months with Auréa since being saved from administration. As part of the company's new chapter, they have even released a new range of products. Why are retailers closing stores? RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis. High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going. However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024. End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker. It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date. This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023. It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns. The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker. Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations. Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes. Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020." It recenelty dropped two exciting limited-edition product collections the cosy, warming Tender Tonka, and the zingy, summery Refreshing Passionfruit. The Tender Tonka range includes frangrances and a body cream. Meanwhile, the Refreshing Passionfruit range features shower gel, body yogurt, body scrub, and body mist. For a full breakdown of The Body Shop's new collection, check out our product round-up.
Scottish Sun
13-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Iconic British high street chain DEMOLISHES its HQ after shutting 75 shops & being pulled out of administration
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAJOR British chain has demolished its headquarters over a year after going into administration. The brand also closed 75 locations and cut 800 jobs as part of the process. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The headquarters of The Body Shop in Sussex is in the process of being demolished Credit: SUSSEX NEWS AND PICTURES 3 The demolition comes after the beauty brand announced it was relocating to the Plus X Innovation Hub Credit: SUSSEX NEWS AND PICTURES However, now The Body Shop has been saved from administration and is even said to be making a comeback with shoppers. More than half of the brand's Sussex headquarters have been knocked down by contractors. Earlier this year, plans were submitted to the local council to demolish and replace the building. This came after The Body Shop announced in October 2024 that it was relocating its headquarters. The headquarters for the high street brand is now located in the Plus X Innovation Hub near the University of Brighton. This news came just weeks after The Body Shop was saved from administration in September 2024. According to The Argus, two of sculptures were stolen from the site during the demolition. The outlet reported on the alleged theft after resident Body Shop sculptor Giles Penny spoke out about his artwork going missing. He shared his hope that the remaining art at the site can be revitalised and reused for a tribute to The Body Shop founder Anita Roddick. The Body Shop has deep roots in Brighton and Sussex before expanding globally since its first store opened in Kensington Gardens in 1976. Tragic Closure: Primark Store Shutdown After Fatal Incident Since then the business has undergone a whirlwind few decades before going into administration last year. The announcement shocked fans of the company, which was reportedbto be worth £207 million in 2023. Now back with a bang, the sustainable beauty brand plans to keep all remaining 113 stores open. The Body Shop even cashed in a healthy £2 million in profit during its first three months with Auréa since being saved from administration. As part of the company's new chapter, they have even released a new range of products. Why are retailers closing stores? RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis. High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going. However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024. End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker. It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date. This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023. It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns. The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker. Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations. Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes. Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020." It recenelty dropped two exciting limited-edition product collections the cosy, warming Tender Tonka, and the zingy, summery Refreshing Passionfruit. The Tender Tonka range includes frangrances and a body cream. Meanwhile, the Refreshing Passionfruit range features shower gel, body yogurt, body scrub, and body mist. For a full breakdown of The Body Shop's new collection, check out our product round-up.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Demolition works begin at former Body Shop HQ
Demolition works have begun at the former headquarters of The Body Shop. The ethical beauty brand moved out of its base in Littlehampton last year after decades in the West Sussex town. Works began on Tuesday to demolish the striking building with its green roof in Watersmead Drive, next to the junction known locally as the "Body Shop roundabout". The Body Shop announced in October last year that it was relocating its head offices to Brighton, where founder Dame Anita Roddick opened the brand's first store in 1976. Residents in the town previously told BBC Radio Sussex that they were "shocked" by the decision to relocate. The move comes after the business's UK stores were saved from administration by a consortium led by British cosmetics tycoon Mike Jatania. Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. More on this story
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
The Body Shop: Demolition work begins on former Littlehampton HQ
Demolition works begin at former Body Shop HQ The former Body Shop offices were home to the beauty brand for decades Work to demolish the former headquarters of The Body Shop in Littlehampton has begun Demolition works have begun at the former headquarters of The Body Shop. The ethical beauty brand moved out of its base in Littlehampton last year after decades in the West Sussex town. Works began on Tuesday to demolish the striking building with its green roof in Watersmead Drive, next to the junction known locally as the "Body Shop roundabout". The Body Shop announced in October last year that it was relocating its head offices to Brighton, where founder Dame Anita Roddick opened the brand's first store in 1976.
