THE Sky Bet and British Heart Foundation’s ‘Every Minute Matters' campaign has smashed its target – and it's not stopping yet!
A whopping 270,000 people across Britain have now learned CPR – nearly three times the capacity of Wembley Stadium – and there’s still two months left to go!
The British Heart Foundation confirmed the incredible milestone, proving once again that the power of football knows no bounds.
The campaign is now raising the bar, aiming for 360,000 CPR-trained fans by the time the Sky Bet EFL Play-Offs kick off at the end of May.
Meanwhile, the Sky Bet EFL ‘Every Minute Matters' 4,000km Relay has reached its halfway mark, with football legends taking on a gruelling 28-day challenge across England and Wales, visiting all 72 English Football League clubs.
And the big names just keep coming!
Phil Jagielka and Sam Allardyce are among the stars set to join the Relay next week, urging fans to step up, donate their time, and learn CPR – a skill that could save lives.
Launched at Wembley in May 2024, ‘Every Minute Matters' was backed by the star-studded ‘Re-Starting XI' – a team of football legends and real-life heroes, including Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer, who miraculously survived a cardiac arrest on the pitch during a Premier League game against Bournemouth in December 2023.
Sky Bet has also pledged a massive £3 million to fund the British Heart Foundation's lifesaving research and community defibrillator work.
On hearing the 270,000 milestone had now been reached, 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 the 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.”
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), 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.”
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