Dorothy Rose Sanders Purdew (4 March 1932 – 5 September 2023) was a British businesswoman who was recognized for her role in the development and management of the Champneys spa chain.[1] [2] [3]
Purdew was born on 4 March 1932, in Clapham, South London to working class parents.[4] [5] Her mother, May, descended from a Liverpool docker lineage, and her father, Dickie, an orphan, was raised in a workhouse before becoming a labourer and plumber.[5] The family moved to Harrow when she was five years old and lived in rented rooms in South Harrow.[5] [1] During World War II, Dorothy was evacuated to a farm in Wiltshire, while her father served in North Africa and her mother worked in an ammunition factory.[5] Her formal education concluded at 14 due to financial constraints.[1]
After leaving school at 14, Purdew worked in a dress-making factory.[5] Following a personal weight loss experience with Weight Watchers in her late 30s, Sanders founded her own slimming club, WeightGuard.[1] Later in life, she attempted to establish a health spa at Thornby Hall in 1978, but faced financial challenges that led to voluntary liquidation.[4]
In 1981, Purdew acquired Henlow Grange, a pre-existing health farm in Bedfordshire, which she developed into a spa.[5] Under her leadership, and in collaboration with her son Stephen, several more spa locations were opened, including Springs in Leicestershire and Forest Mere in Hampshire.[5]
In 2002, the Purdews acquired Champneys spa at Tring in Hertfordshire, leading to the rebranding of their establishments under the Champneys name.[4]
Sanders was awarded an OBE in 2008 for her contributions to the wellness industry.[1] She authored an autobiography, The Long Road to Champneys, in 2010.[5]
The business strategy of offering celebrities reduced rates for stays became controversial in 2011 when Sir Paul Stephenson resigned as the Metropolitan Police commissioner following a complimentary stay at Champneys Tring.[5]