It’s been quite the year here at Step Forward With Lewis.

When I formed this company, with the broad idea of adding fitness classes and personal training to the running club that already existed, I could barely have imagined what it would become.

Those additions did, of course, arrive. I am lucky enough to have a lovely collection of personal training clients, a running club that goes from strength to strength, and our amazing Monday Muscles class, which has become a beacon of social fulfilment as well as a fun, feel-good fitness session.

But what I couldn’t have imagined is some of the other ways in which Step Forward With Lewis has branched out and grown, especially over the last year.

Our strength and balance classes were already well established coming into 2025, but it’s safe to say that not only have they continued to expand, they have gone to the next level with the creation of our Community Interest Company, Step Forward With Lewis CIC. This has resulted in our ability to offer the classes for free, and to expand into offering sessions for those with Parkinson’s and cancer.

On an entirely different front, we have also seen our Shoe Tours becoming bigger than ever before, attracting a keen and enthusiastic audience who always seem to have a little bit of Shoe Town history to add themselves.

So, this is my quick look back at 2025, and some of the highlights that have seen Step Forward With Lewis reach another level. As ever, this wouldn’t be possible without you. Thank you so much for your support, help and encouragement. I cannot wait to see you all in 2026!

Hello to Step Forward With Lewis CIC:

Perhaps the biggest development in 2025 has been the creation of our sister company, Step Forward With Lewis Community Interest Company. This was born out of a desire to be able to offer our existing strength and balance classes for free.

It has always been clear to me that the sessions we have been able to hold in Hardingstone, Wootton, Milton Malsor, and East Hunsbury make a huge difference to the lives of those who attend. They have the power to give them confidence, increase their independence, and help prevent falls (easing pressure on the NHS in the process).

Although Step Forward With Lewis is obviously a business, we always wanted to be able to find a way to offer these classes for free. The idea was that this would enable us to help those who are among the most vulnerable in society benefit from our services without having to pay. Just this week, one of my regular clients told me they would have had to consider only coming fortnightly if they’d had to continue paying for sessions.

I also wanted to be able to extend our offer to put on classes for those with long-term health issues, and the CIC has allowed us to do both of those things.

Initially, we were able to secure a grant from Parkinson’s UK, which provided funding for six months worth of free classes, as well as vital equipment for attendees. These sessions are proving increasingly popular and we are actively working to secure further money through additional grants and fundraising.

We have also been able to launch a new class at The Elgar Centre in Upton for those with cancer or who are in remission. Thanks to the generosity of far too many people to name here (you know who you are!), we were able to fund these sessions, which we launched in collaboration with our friends at The Lewis Foundation, who work hard to help cancer patients in the county every day.

Our recent Christmas Quiz raised more than £1,000 to help us continue to fund these sessions, while we have received backing in the form of another grant from West Northamptonshire Council.

On the subject of that grant from WNC, the vast majority of it has enabled us to offer our already existing strength and balance classes for free for December, January and February. It’s already made a massive difference, with more people able to attend the classes and benefit from the exercises they provide.

One resolution I am determined to keep in 2026 is to keep as many of these classes going for free as possible. It will involve finding new revenue sources, which can be time-consuming work, and continuing to fundraise – which I know is a pressure on people during these times of financial constraint. This won’t be easy, but a year ago Step Forward With Lewis CIC didn’t even exist – I can’t wait to build on it in 2026 and help make a difference to those who need these classes.

• Find out more about Step Forward With Lewis CIC on our dedicated website, including how to donate and details about the classes: https://stepforwardwithlewiscic.co.uk/

Shoe Town touring:

The Step Forward With Lewis Shoe Tours have had a bumper 2025, and I’ve loved seeing the interest in them grow – not least with our appearance on Radio Northampton with Bernie Keith.

One of the things I really like about the tours is that all those who come on them bring something to the party, with snippets of Northampton knowledge and shoe factory facts seemingly at everyone’s fingertips.

I particularly loved the story of Adrian Barber, who revealed he was a member of the famous shoe dynasty, the Loake family. Adrian told us how he had been adopted as a child, but later discovered his connection to the Loake’s and has been welcomed into the family – he was even sporting a natty pair of their shoes while on our tour!

I have been busy revising more of our town’s fascinating shoe history and heritage, and can’t wait to bring back the tours next year. Dates for the Shoe Tours 2026 will be available on this website soon, so keep an eye out!

Fundraising fun in 2025:

Throughout 2025, we were excited to be able to fundraise for some exceptional charities. Across the year, we put on virtual runs and held special charity Shoe Tours to raise money for Team Daisy, Project 16:15, Northants SEND Mummas and The Lewis Foundation.

We were also, for the third year in a row, able to organise the 16:15 Charity Run at Northampton’s Racecourse, an event which raised close to £1,000 to help rough sleepers in the town. On top of this, the partnership between our CIC and The Lewis Foundation helped raise more than £1,000 to help them with their work with cancer patients.

These are the charities we backed in 2025 – please consider donating to them in the future:

• Team Daisy – Set up in memory of Daisy Chalmers, the charity has been fundraising and raising awareness about baby loss for four years since the loss of Daisy.
• The Lewis Foundation – Dedicated to bringing a little light into the lives of adult cancer patients during their hospital stay, The Lewis Foundation sources, packages, and hand delivers free gifts and support packs for them.
• Project 16:15 – Northampton’s only seven-day-a-week, street level registered charity supporting rough sleepers.
• Northants SEND Mummas – Providing peer support and friendship for mums and female carers across Northamptonshire, SEND Mummas run monthly meet-ups and wellbeing sessions.

Monday Muscles – fitness fanatics and social butterflies:

As I mentioned earlier, one of the main thrusts of launching Step Forward With Lewis was a desire to put on fitness classes for all. We have certainly been able to do that, and this year our Monday Muscles class has gone from strength to strength.

I’m very lucky to have such a fantastic group of encouraging and enthusiastic people in this group, and we have become close friends throughout our keep fit journey. This year, the fitness fun spilled over into, among other things, Christmas drinks and a team trip to Birmingham Christmas Markets!

More social events are planned, and I always think it is really important for fitness classes to be approachable and enjoyable rather than simply smashing out thousands of Burpees every week. Don’t get me wrong, we get our glow on but we have smiles on our faces as well.

• Fancy joining us at the Monday Muscles? Find out more on our strength and cardio page on this website or email stepforwardwithlewis@gmail.com

Born to Run – the Hill Demons and podcast stories:

Of course, Step Forward With Lewis started as a running club and I’m very proud that we have been able to keep this part of the story… ahem… running! Our Wednesday evening Fartlek and Hill sessions continue to prove popular, along with Sunday’s Chatty Run, but for me the real magic happens when we meet up at parkrun or for races.

This year, we even saw two teams of Steppers enter The Amazing Northampton Run Relay and – with a little bit of help from Tim Stent, aka The Middle Aged Running Man, aka MARM – we even managed to grab a podium finish for one of them.

While that was a great day, what I really love is seeing people improve their running and take that into fresh challenges, whether tackling a marathon or finishing their first parkrun. It’s particularly gratifying to see those who are new to running embrace the sport and learn to love it.

That was always a big part of why we not only started the running club – which, by the way, costs just £10 a year to be a part of – but also our Running Tales Podcast. The podcast has moved back under our own banner after being part of the Everyday Athlete Podcast Network for a year, and continues to grow, while our Substack newsletter is also increasing in popularity, This year also saw the launch of our parkrun tales feature, which basically consists of Craig and I stitching video together from the different parkruns we visit around the country!

Offering strength and balance across the community:

It’s been another fantastic year for getting out into the community with our classes, working with some brilliant organisations who do vital work in Northamptonshire.

It has been a honour to put on a variety strength and balance classes, helping people to be fit, happy and healthy. This has included holding sessions at the Doddridge Centre; the Memory Cafe in Weston Favell; and with Northampton Town FC Community Trust via their Extra Hub Community.

I love working with these groups, seeing people making real progress and getting stronger by the session. It is inspiring to see the effort they put in to improve their strength, balance, and flexibility, and to see the confidence they gain as they progress.

It has also been a pleasure to continue working with Northamptonshire Carers, taking their Pumped Up class to help those recovering from heart conditions, as well as their dementia classes. Once again, those who attend these classes are really inspirational as they look to recover their fitness and wellbeing.

Step Forward With Lewis’ ultimate goal was always to help people find their confidence and to learn to love fitness. That I am able to do this with such a range of brilliant clients makes me a very happy fitness instructor!

New strength and cardio classes:

One of the things I have been really proud of this year is the expansion of our strength and cardio sessions into the community.

I have loved working at St James Community Centre on a Thursday evening to put on classes there. We hold both a men’s and a women’s class, and I’m looking forward to seeing these grow in 2026.

As with the Monday Muscles class, these sessions combine working hard with enjoyment. I’m not a believer in army style drills and beasting people. By combining strength, balance, flexibility and cardio work through sensible exercises that can be adapting to suit everybody and every body, I know people can make real gains while reducing the risk of injury.

If you would like to find out more about our Thursday evening classes, or to sign-up, drop me an email at stepforwardwithlewis@gmail.com.

Oiling people’s joints at WD40:

One of my more long-standing relationships is with my friends at WD40, where I have been holding both strength and posture classes for their staff for a number of years.

I’m always impressed by their commitment to the fitness of their people, and the acknowledgement that physical wellbeing can boost happiness and performance.

I’ve been working with a number of staff members at WD40 for some time now, and they are always ready for cheery smile and hello when we have our calls, which I think reflects really well on the company that employs them.

Looking forward to 2026:

This year has been so varied and exciting, and I’m sure you all have your own preferred memories! All that remains for me to say is have a VERY Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Can’t wait to get fit and fabulous with you in 2026!

Michelle x