Iconic sculpture from The Body Shop headquarters to arrive on 26 March

Littlehampton Museum is delighted to announce the arrival of a significant new addition to its collection: one of the much‑loved fibreglass sculptures from The Body Shop’s former headquarters. The sculpture will be delivered to the Museum on Thursday 26, marking the first official donation to the Transforming Littlehampton Museum project, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The artwork is being generously donated by its sculptor, Giles Penny, who has recently restored the piece. He will bring the sculpture to the Museum alongside the Arundel resident who originally posed for the work, adding a uniquely personal dimension to the event.

On display outside the iconic pagoda‑style Body Shop headquarters since the nineties until its demolition in 2025, the life‑sized sculptures were visible from surrounding roads and became a beloved local landmark. Since the dispersal of the sculptures, there has been strong community interest in preserving their legacy. Only a few of the remaining sculptures were in a salvageable condition and all needed repair. In consultation with the sculptor, the Town Council’s Community Resources Committee selected this piece to act as a representation of the set. 

The sculpture depicts a woman seated upon a block featuring a letter, originally one of several blocks stacked to spell “The Body Shop.” This piece is the first object to enter the Museum’s contemporary collecting initiative, part of a wider effort to make the Museum’s collections more representative, inclusive, and reflective of Littlehampton’s recent history.

The Transforming Littlehampton Museum project aims to ensure that contemporary stories, like those associated with The Body Shop, are collected and preserved before they fade from living memory. Through oral histories, workshops, and community contributions, the Museum hopes to reflect the diverse experiences of local people and celebrate the town’s evolving identity.

The Museum will be looking for current and ex- staff from The Body Shop and their families to volunteer to take part in workshops to develop a display about their experiences, to help to select items to be added into the collections and to be interviewed by Museum volunteers for oral histories.

“These sculptures were well known and well loved by the local community,” said Councillor Freddie Tandy, Chair of Littlehampton Town Council’s Community Resources Committee. “We are very pleased that one of them can be saved for the Town. It feels particularly appropriate that this sculpture is the first item to be donated as part of the Transforming Littlehampton Museum project, which aims to work with our community to add contemporary material and associated oral histories into the collection.”

In the short term, the sculpture will go on display in the Museum’s reception, and in 2028, it will feature in the Museum’s Centenary exhibition.

Transforming Littlehampton Museum is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to revitalise Littlehampton Museum by developing a more representative and inclusive collection, ensuring the best use of resources and strengthening community ownership. A special exhibition in 2028 will celebrate both the Museum’s centenary and its transformation