Meet the team at the Kettering podiatry clinic boosting town centre footfall

Staff at a Kettering town centre podiatry clinic are celebrating six months in their new premises as they look to expand their offer to high street shoppers.

Joint owners Mar-ie Ferdinand and Emma Bell of Next Step Podiatry in Lower Street have seen their business - and footfall - increase as a result of their move from Bowling Green Road.

The colleagues, who both live in Corby, trained at the University of Northampton and first set up eight years ago.

They have since employed two more podiatrists and an administrator.

Mar-ie Ferdinand said: "We wanted to grow our practice and we wanted to grow our staff team. Here we have blue badge parking outside, it's in a nice location and we have a nice community around us. It's been amazing being in the town centre with people walking past and popping in.

"We have a team of highly-skilled passionate podiatrists and have recently opened our new run and motion lab using the latest technology on the market for gait analysis, helping our patients keep active and mobile."

In 2014, NHS podiatry services in Northamptonshire stopped treating patients unless they were clinically 'high risk' with people needing a podiatrist having to pay privately.

As well as offering treatments for ingrown toenails, corns, callouses, verrucae and diabetic footcare, the team offer podiatry treatments for a number of lower limb conditions and specialise in musculoskeletal gait analysis.

Using a treadmill and a pressure plate, the way a patient walks can be assessed and corrected with prescription insoles to prevent pain while walking or running.

Luke Planter, an extended scope podiatrist, said: "Everyone has a different gait. We can pick up on and prevent injury. We use a pressure analysis system and the treadmill to see the forces going through the feet."

The practice is also stepping into the shoe and sock trade, stocking a range of wide DB shoes, slippers and bamboo socks.

Emma said: "We often have people who walk in and if we have space we will of course see them.

"It's fantastic. We have thought about growing further and franchising."

On Friday the team will attend the Kettering Awards where they have been shortlisted in the Small Business of the Year and the Health and Fitness Business of the Year categories.