Charity retail changemaker awarded prestigious honour by The Open University

Dedicating a career spanning more than 30 years to charity retail, MBA graduate Maria Chenoweth has been awarded The Open University’s prestigious degree of Honorary Doctor, in recognition of her lifelong work championing the social and environmental benefits of second-hand fashion.

From leaving school without any formal qualifications to becoming a transformative force in the charity retail sector, Maria (pictured) reflected that her journey “is proof of the OU’s mission—that people from all walks of life and any background can achieve more than they ever dreamed possible.”

Maria first stepped into the world of charity retail as a volunteer at Oxfam and later joined Traid Head of Retail in 1999. Soon after in 2003, Maria was appointed as Traid’s Chief Executive, transforming the organisation into the leading charity retailer it is today.

Under Maria’s leadership, Traid made selling second-hand clothes formally recognised as a key charity objective for its environmental benefits. Today, Traid is the only charity retailer with the sole purpose of advocating for a better fashion industry, and further to its core environmental work, it commits over half a million pounds each year to fund global projects supporting garment workers, their families and communities.

UK’s first multi-charity shop

Maria has continued to innovate beyond Traid, co-founding the UK’s first multi-charity shop, Charity Super.Mkt (CSM). Through the concept she has made second-hand fashion more accessible by bringing charity retail to mainstream places it would not traditionally occupy, including the prestigious Bond Street in central London, a first for the sector.

Maria began her journey with the OU through their open-door policy, completing her MBA in Business Administration in 2019. Since then, Maria’s efforts have fostered a close relationship between Traid and The Open University, supporting the OU’s shared interests in sustainability and social justice.

As a Fellow, Maria has continued to share her research and expertise to strengthen the OU’s teaching provision for both undergraduate and postgraduate students across contemporary business concerns such as the green transition, ethical change management and employee engagement.

On accepting the award, Maria said:

My journey at the OU taught me I didn’t need or want a new language, rather I just needed to find my own voice, and I did.”