Sam Barlow BEM - available for speaking engagements
If you would like Sam our Founder and Chief Officer to come and speak at your organisation or event, please read on and contact us using the details below.
Inspiring people and communities to be more active, more connected and more confident.
Sam Barlow BEM is the founder and Chief Officer of Fitmums and Friends, a community organisation and charity that began with one simple idea: bring people together through physical activity.
Sam is an engaging and authentic speaker who combines practical experience, personal stories and hard-earned lessons from more than 17 years of growing a grassroots movement into a thriving community organisation.
Whether speaking to businesses, community organisations, sports organisations, volunteers or leaders, Sam shares the story of Fitmums and Friends to inspire others who believe in the power of physical activity to change lives and bring communities together.
What Sam can talk about
From one small idea to a thriving community. Sam can share the story of how Fitmums and Friends started in 2009 as a simple invitation to local parents to go for a run – and how that small idea grew into a network of community clubs supporting more than 1,000 people across Yorkshire. She explores the challenges, opportunities and lessons learned along the way, including what it takes to turn an idea into something sustainable and meaningful.
Building active and connected communities
How do you create opportunities for people to become more active – and make them feel that they belong? Sam can share practical insight into how Fitmums and Friends establishes and grows new clubs, removes barriers to participation, welcomes people of all abilities and creates friendly, supportive environments where people want to keep coming back. She can also explore how the Fitmums and Friends model could inspire others to develop similar opportunities in their own communities.
The power of volunteering
At the heart of Fitmums and Friends is a network of amazing volunteers. Sam can talk about the importance of recruiting, supporting and retaining volunteers, and how giving people the opportunity to contribute can benefit both individuals and the wider community. She can share the lessons learned from building a volunteer-led organisation and the importance of creating a culture where people feel valued, supported and part of something bigger.
The impact of group activity
Sam is passionate about the benefits of being active with other people. She can explore how group sport can improve physical and mental wellbeing, build confidence, create friendships and help people feel less isolated – and why the social connection that comes from being active together can be just as important as the activity itself.
Turning personal experience into positive action
Sam can also speak about how her own experience of bereavement shaped the development of Fitmums and Friends. Following the death of her husband, Mike, in 2020 after his long battle with cancer, Sam drew on her own experience of grief to develop new programmes supporting people who have experienced the death of someone close to them. Her story demonstrates how personal experience can inspire meaningful change and how community, connection and physical activity can help people navigate some of life's most difficult moments.
Previous speaking engagements
Sam's previous engagements include:
- Presenter at APPG Running, House of Commons
- Keynote speaker, England Athletics Virtual Club Conference
- Sport Panel, Volunteer Expo Live, NEC Birmingham
- Speaker, HullBID Inspiring Women Dinner
- Keynote speaker, At a loss for words Conference, Humber Health Partnership
- Speaker, Womens Health Conference, Hull University
A range of talks and presentations to businesses, sports organisations, community groups and volunteers
About Sam
Sam Barlow BEM founded Fitmums and Friends in 2009 in an East Yorkshire village. What started as a simple invitation to local parents to come for a run has grown into a charity supporting more than 1,000 people through a network of community clubs across Yorkshire.
Fitmums and Friends is passionate about helping people become more active and feel more connected. Its activities include running, walking, cycling, boot camp, buggy sessions, junior athletics and a range of specialist programmes designed to remove barriers to physical activity.
The organisation is built around a network of dedicated volunteers, with the central charity providing the support and infrastructure that enables community activity to thrive. Fitmums and Friends became a registered charity in 2017, and international runner and five-time Olympian Jo Pavey became the charity's patron in 2019.
Sam's work has been recognised nationally. In 2015, she was awarded a BEM for services to sport and the community. In 2021, she was named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Unsung Hero, recognising the contribution she has made through Fitmums and Friends and her passion for helping people become more active.
In 2024, Fitmums and Friends received the King's Award for Voluntary Service recognising the outstanding contribution of its volunteers.
Sam continues to lead the development of Fitmums and Friends, supporting its existing community clubs and developing new programmes to enable more people to access regular physical activity and experience the physical, mental and social benefits of being active together.
Alongside her leadership role, Sam continues to coach adult running groups and particularly enjoys working with young people through Fitmums and Friends' junior athletics programme.
Sam's story is ultimately one about the power of a simple idea, the importance of community and what can happen when people come together to make a difference.
Interested in booking Sam to speak?
To enquire about Sam's availability and speaking engagements, please contact admin@fitmums.org.uk