As Bristol Rovers get ready to face-off against Swindon Town in the West County derby on Saturday, Rovers defender Tom Lockyer and Swindon Town manager Ian Holloway came together to back a life-saving campaign.
The British Heart Foundation's Every Minute Matters campaign works with football clubs across the country to improve CPR education and training.
Whilst the match will be streaming on Sky Sports+, there will be an on-screen QR to learn how to perform CPR. Alternatively, you can visit their website here.
A study by the British Heart Foundation found that eight out of ten cardiac arrests happen outside of hospital and 40,000 people who are not in hospital will have a cardiac arrest this year.
Speaking to the media, Tom Lockyer has been promoting the campaign alongside Swindon Town’s Ian Holloway to spread the message.
“This campaign means so much to me,” he said. “I hope you can tell the passion when I speak about it because I was one of the lucky ones and we want to change the odds for everyone else.”
Lockyer, whilst playing against AFC Bournemouth in a Premier League match with Luton Town, suffered a cardiac arrest whilst playing.
“I know exactly how lucky I am to be playing for Rovers,” said the defender. “I’m only here because of CPR and the incredible speed of the medical staff and paramedics who brought me back.
“This Christmas, the Every Minute Matters campaign is calling on fans to start a new tradition – before you settle in for the festive football, give just 15 minutes to learn CPR. It could be the greatest gift you ever give.”
If you are unsure about what to do the event of a heart attack or a cardiac arrest, you can log onto the British Heart Foundation website, you can search for their online tool called RevivR and you can learn CPR in 15 minutes, to potentially save a life.
