Sky Bet and BHF’s CPR Campaign Trains Over 270,000 Fans – Targeting 360,000 by May

Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) Every Minute Matters campaign has successfully taught CPR to over 270,000 football fans—smashing initial targets and creating what the BHF describes as “a small army of lifesavers.”

The campaign has inspired the equivalent of three Wembley Stadiums’ worth of people to use the BHF’s online RevivR tool to begin learning the lifesaving technique. Organisers are now aiming to increase that number to 360,000 before the Sky Bet EFL Play-Offs take place at the end of May.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, CEO of the British Heart Foundation, said:

“In less than a year, we’ve seen hundreds of thousands of people rally behind Every Minute Matters and start learning vital CPR.

“It’s incredible that this campaign has reached its ambitious target, and our heartfelt thanks goes to Sky Bet, the football community, talent, fans, the wider public and the UK media for their support and dedication to getting us there.

“But we aren’t stopping here. We are now aiming even higher and hope an extra Wembley stadium learns CPR with RevivR by the end of May, in our efforts to ensure more lives are saved from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.”

The initiative launched at Wembley Stadium in May last year, with support from high-profile footballers including Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer, who suffered a cardiac arrest during a Premier League match against Bournemouth in December 2023.

Later in 2023, Sky Bet also announced a pledge to donate £10,000 to the BHF for every match-winning goal scored in added time during this Sky Bet EFL season. The betting brand has also committed to raising £3 million for the BHF’s research and community defibrillator programmes.

Reflecting on the campaign’s impact, Every Minute Matters ambassador Tom Lockyer said:

“Thinking back to last May, and taking the pitch with the likes of Graeme Souness, Glenn Hoddle and David Ginola, it’s just incredible to think of how much we’ve achieved.

“Hitting the 270,000 milestone is incredible, and every single person now has a unique skill in their hands. We’ve created a small army of lifesavers.

“I’m so proud of the efforts of everyone involved. We can now move the goalposts and put every effort into getting the number up to four Wembleys, from three – 360,000 people.”

Meanwhile, the Sky Bet EFL Every Minute Matters 4,000km Relay has reached its halfway point. The 28-day challenge is seeing footballers run legs of a relay across England and Wales, stopping at all 72 EFL clubs along the route.