A group of football stars, including former England manager Glenn Hoddle, Liverpool legend Graeme Souness, and Tottenham hero David Ginola, alongside current players like Luton captain Tom Lockyer and former Bolton star Fabrice Muamba, have come together to launch the Every Minute Matters campaign. This initiative aims to teach over a quarter of a million people life-saving CPR skills. The campaign was launched at Wembley and is supported by Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation. The goal is to recruit 270,000 people to learn CPR over the next year, with Sky Bet pledging up to £3 million to support this cause.
Souness, who has firsthand experience with coronary heart disease, emphasized the importance of CPR in saving lives. The Re-Starting XI, which includes individuals who have survived life-threatening coronary emergencies, will inspire fans to take action and learn CPR. Lockyer, who collapsed on the pitch during a game last year and survived a cardiac arrest, highlighted the crucial role of those who knew how to perform CPR to save his life. The initiative aims to encourage football fans to take just 15 minutes to learn CPR through the British Heart Foundation’s digital tool, RevivR.
Statistics show that there are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK each year, with fewer than one in 10 people surviving due to lack of CPR knowledge and confidence in those around them. Every minute without CPR reduces the chance of survival by up to 10 percent. Sky Bet and BHF will leverage the drama of the Sky Bet play-offs to unite football fans and the wider public behind the goal of saving lives. The campaign will urge everyone to spend 15 minutes learning CPR using RevivR, which requires no medical experience and can be completed with just a mobile phone and a cushion for practice.
The involvement of football stars like Souness, Hoddle, Ginola, Lockyer, and Muamba in the Every Minute Matters campaign highlights the urgent need for more people to learn CPR and be prepared to respond to cardiac emergencies. The collaboration between Sky Bet, BHF, and these football icons aims to equip thousands of fans with the skills and confidence to perform life-saving CPR. By taking the time to learn CPR, fans can potentially save thousands of lives and make a significant impact in helping those who experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests have a greater chance of survival.
The campaign’s focus on using football as a platform to raise awareness about the importance of CPR and inspire action among fans is a powerful way to engage and educate a wide audience. With the support of Sky Bet’s financial pledge and the expertise of the British Heart Foundation, the Every Minute Matters initiative has the potential to create a lasting impact on the community by empowering individuals to be prepared to respond to life-threatening situations. By encouraging fans to take simple steps towards learning CPR, the campaign aims to make a difference in improving survival rates for those who experience cardiac emergencies.
