In Trustees’ Week 2020 (2-6 November), we took the opportunity to thank our trustees wholeheartedly for the great work that they do for us - and also to ask them why they do what they do. And this is what they told us.

Tony:

“I have worked in sport for 20 years so I believe in the benefit of physical activity. But I saw the real power of Fitmums & Friends while running with the Cottingham group: the inclusivity, welcoming environment and breadth of activity on offer, which I found truly inspiring.

I also have a paragraph from a Fitmums survey that was done a couple of years ago stuck on my wall. I look at it every day and it reminds me of what Fitmums achieves: it mentions this person’s struggle with addiction, living in an unfamiliar place, loneliness, then a chance mention of going for a run that leads to being welcomed in, buddying up, feeling part of a group and running further; this turns into them wanting to give something back to the group that helped them so much.

Pretty simply, the feedback from that person, and the many other stories like it, is why I’m a trustee of Fitmums.”

Sue:

When she heard that Fitmums & Friends was looking for trustees to support it becoming a charity, Sue knew instantly that she wanted to be involved and play a part in the legendary Fitmums’ story: “I have known Sam Barlow, founder of Fitmums & Friends, for a number of years and I’ve seen how her passion and dedication has enthused others and grown Fitmums into an amazing organisation which has supported so many people in so many ways. As the least sporty person in a very active family, I love the inclusive approach of Fitmums and the fact that there is something for everyone: running, walking, cycling, even singing; and everyone, regardless of ability, truly is welcome.”

Jamie:

Jamie became a trustee of Fitmums & Friends after hearing Sam speak about the Fitmums journey, the friendly, supportive board and just the pure joy of being part of something unique. Since joining the board, he’s not looked back: “I still get overwhelmed by the dedicated and hardworking team of volunteers, the invaluable testimonies of the members, and of course my fellow trustees. Each board meeting seems effortless as the other trustees show such enthusiasm, commitment and persistence to making a big difference to how the charity impacts peoples lives.”

Phoebe:

And finally, we heard from Phoebe. Phoebe became a trustee in April 2019 because she loves the ethos of Fitmums & Friends: “As a relatively new mum myself, I’m really passionate about mums being able to get the support and friendship that they need to help them through parenthood. I love that Fitmums not only offers this, but companionship and opportunities to all sorts of people from our community. I have loved seeing Fitmums evolve over the last year and am so proud of how they have adapted to cater for Covid-19. I can’t wait to see what happens next and look forward to supporting however I can!”