1<html> 2 3<head> 4<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> 5<meta name="Microsoft Theme" content="willow 011, default"> 6<title>Sam Barlow homepage</title> 7</head> 8 9<body background="_themes/willow/willbk.jpg" bgcolor="#CCCC99" text="#000000" 10link="#993333" vlink="#336666" alink="#CC9900"> 11<table width="1000" border="10" align="center"> 12 <tr> 13 <td colspan="2" align="center" valign="middle"><p><font color="#FF0000" size="6" face="Impact">Sam Barlow BEM, 2021 Sports Personality Unsung Hero</font></p></td> 14 </tr> 15 <tr> 16 <td colspan="2" align="center" valign="middle"><strong>Sam Barlow BEM</strong> founded the registered charity <strong><a href="https://fitmums.org.uk/">Fitmums & Friends</a></strong> from her home in Cottingham, East Yorkshire, in 2009.</td> 17 </tr> 18 <tr> 19 <td rowspan="2" align="center" valign="middle"><p> Seeking a way to socialize with other parents after her eldest child, Ollie, started school, Sam decided to combine her passion for running with community building. She placed a simple flyer in her son, Ollie's school book bag, inviting local parents for a casual jog. On that first evening, four people knocked on her door. From those modest beginnings on her driveway, a friendly, community-focused fitness group grew into a thriving charity that offers accessible walking, running, and social activities for all. From the very first meeting, Sam was supported by her husband, <strong>Mike Barlow</strong>. Diagnosed with incurable cancer in 2007, Mike refused to watch from the sidelines. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and helped build the foundation of <a href="https://fitmums.org.uk/">Fitmums & Friends</a>.<br> 20His vital contributions to the organization included:</p> 21 <ul type="disc"> 22 <li><strong>The First Group Leader:</strong>
22 When Sam launched the initial sessions from their driveway, Mike stepped up to become the charity’s first-ever trained Leader.</li> 23 <li><strong>Athletics Coach:</strong> An accomplished athlete, Mike qualified as an Athletics Coach in 2011. He spearheaded adult running sessions and heavily supported the junior athletics programmes.</li> 24 <li><strong>Coaching Through Illness:</strong> Even as his rare, incurable tumour progressed, Mike used sport to stay focused. When he could no longer physically run, he pivoted entirely to coaching, continuing to train and inspire members from the sidelines.</li> 25 </ul></td> 26 <td align="center" valign="middle"><img src="sam3.jpg" width="500" height="400"></td> 27 </tr> 28 <tr> 29 <td align="center" valign="middle"><strong><em>Photo shown courtesy of Sam Barlow and Hull Live</em></strong></td> 30 </tr> 31 <tr> 32 <td align="center" valign="middle"><img src="sam1.jpg" width="500" height="500"></td> 33 <td align="center" valign="middle"><p>In the 2016 New Year Honours List, Sam was awarded the British Empire Medal for her services to fitness in East Yorkshire, the key impacts of her work included Combating Isolation, Promoting Public Health, and Fostering Volunteerism.</p> 34 <p>Following Mike's tragic passing on <strong>6 October 2020</strong>, Sam channelled her grief into expanding the charity's reach. She established specialized walking and yoga support groups specifically designed to help people experiencing bereavement and loss. To honour his enduring legacy, the family launched the <strong><a href="https://fitmums.org.uk/support/mike-barlow-memorial-fund">Mike Barlow Memorial Fund</a></strong>. The fund directly assists individuals facing financial barriers by covering the costs of memberships, kit, and race entry fees, ensuring that Mike's passion for inclusive fitness lives on.</p> 35 <p>Mike and Sam's son, Ollie, summed up the key objectives of the Fund in his own words, saying 'This fund will aim to offer help to anyone who may struggle to ordinarily access support to be active. The fund will help someone buy a junior or adult membership, a piece of kit, or an entry into a race/event. It will be a way of continuing my dad’s support of people to use activity to help them in life. It is the perfect personification of his legacy and the impact he had on the world.'</p></td> 36 </tr> 37 <tr> 38 <td colspan="2" align="center" valign="middle"><p>In 2021 Sam's work was given national recognition when she was awarded the BBC Sports Personality Unsung Hero award, much to her surprise. In her speech, Sam expressed immense gratitude to the BBC for recognizing community volunteers and felt honoured among the nominees. She credited her team of volunteers as the true magic behind their success, noting that while she provides the ideas, the volunteers do the vital community work. She dedicated the award to her late husband Mike, sharing how sport sustained him through a rare tumor diagnosis and how his ambition remained to keep moving, walking, or coaching despite his illness. She concluded with a moving plea for people to maintain hope and perseverance no matter what happens.</p></td> 39 </tr> 40 <tr> 41 <td colspan="2" align="center" valign="middle"><p>Further awards followed when Fitmums & Friends was officially awarded The <strong>King's Award for Voluntary Service </strong>on 14 November 2024, King Charles III's birthday. The honour is considered the highest accolade given to local volunteer groups in the UK and is the corporate equivalent of an MBE. The charity was granted invitations to the Royal Garden Party in May 2025 as part of receiving The King's Award for Voluntary Service, the rules of the award specify that a limited number of representatives attend. True to her nature of putting her team first, Sam passed those invitations along to others in the organisation. Instead, two dedicated Fitmums & Friends volunteers—Vickie Hillier (Deputy Chief Officer) and Laura Jane Gulley—had the honour of travelling to London to represent the entire charity at the Palace. Sam Barlow later celebrated
41with the rest of the organisation locally when she accepted the physical award crystal from the Lord-Lieutenant at the Hull Guildhall ceremony in July 2025.</p></td> 42 </tr> 43 <tr> 44 <td colspan="2" align="center" valign="middle"><p>The 2026 Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men cycle race took place from Wednesday, September 2 to Sunday, September 6, 2026, with stage 3 going from Hull to Beverley. As a recognition of the excellent work of the charity, Fitmums & Friends, selected members were invited to form part of the community ride ahead of the main race. CEO, Sam Barlow, shown in the blue hat in the centre, commented, 'It was amazing to watch the real cyclists - i'm sure we looked like serious competition to them though.'</p></td> 45 </tr> 46 <tr> 47 <td align="center" valign="middle"><img src="sam5.jpg" width="500" height="500"></td> 48 <td align="center" valign="middle"><img src="sam4.jpg" width="500" height="500"></td> 49 </tr> 50 <tr> 51 <td colspan="2" align="center" valign="middle"><strong>Later, in September 2026, Sam was instumental in organising a Dragon Boat Interclub Challenge race, in partnership with <a href="https://herbreastfriends.org.uk/" target="_self">HER Breast Friends</a> and <a href="https://www.wwac.org.uk/" target="_self">Welton Waters Adventure Centre</a> to boost awareness of her charity and Breat Cancer charities.</strong></td> 52 </tr> 53 <tr> 54 <td align="center" valign="middle"><img src="barlow race4.jpg" width="500" height="500"></td> 55 <td align="center" valign="middle"><p><strong>The race, launched in April 2026, was a new initiative designed to offer a fun, supportive and empowering way to be active whilst providing an opportunity to connect with others who are on, or have been on, the breast cancer journey. Upper-body paddling exercises are heavily proven to aid in recovery and reduce the risk of post-surgery conditions like lymphedema. The race involved 10 enthusiastic teams consisting of Fitmums and Friends members and understanding members of the community, while Beverley Men in Sheds designed paddles as prizes for all participants, a gold paddle going to the winner (Weighton Warriors), silver and bronze paddles for the next 2 placed teams, with all other contestants provided with a wooden paddle to mark their participation. Sam, clearly enjoyed the experience on her boat, is shown opposite, while another team shows grit and determination. Sam is pictured with her son, Ollie, at the event.</strong></p> 56<p><img src="barlow race3.jpg" width="500" height="230"></p></td> 57 </tr> 58 <tr> 59 <td align="center" valign="middle"><img src="barlow race2.jpg" width="500" height="500"></td> 60 <td align="center" valign="middle"><img src="barlow race1.jpg" width="500" height="500"></td> 61 </tr> 62 <tr> 63 <td colspan="2" align="center" valign="middle"><p>Today, the charity continues to go from strength to strength, offering running, walking and junior athletics groups for all ages and abilities. Although Sam is the Founder and Chief Officer, she would be the first to admit that it's true success is due to the dedication of hundreds of volunteers who enable all members to stay active, connected and positive.<br> 64 If you would like to learn more, or think that you could set up a similar scheme in your area, but need advice on how to start, then go to <a href="https://fitmums.org.uk/">Fitmums & Friends</a> where Sam will help and support you.</p></td> 65 </tr> 66</table> 67</body> 68</html>
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