WALES, Luton Town and Bristol Rovers footballer Tom Lockyer has united with a fellow cardiac arrest survivor and Wrexham fan as part of the next phase of Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation’s groundbreaking Every Minute Matters campaign, to demonstrate the lifesaving impact of CPR and how every minute matters when it comes to cardiac emergencies.
Marking Heart Month, the latest phase of Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) Every Minute Matters campaign is calling on football fans across Wales to step up and take just 15 minutes to learn CPR – a simple skill that could one day save a life.
Throughout February, footy legends Tom Lockyer and Micah Richards will be joined by Jermain Defoe, Glenn Hoddle, ‘Big Sam’ Allardyce, Phil Jagielka, Fabrice Muamba, Bobby Zamora and Dion Dublin to flood social media with images of themselves making the iconic heart-hands gesture to encourage supporters everywhere to Show Your Heart and learn CPR using the BHF’s free online RevivR tool.
Since launching at Wembley in May 2024, the Every Minute Matters campaign has already inspired over 450,000 people to start learning CPR. Now, with momentum building, the campaign is racing towards its next milestone – a bold ambition to engage half a million people to begin learning CPR by the end of February.
Lockyer, who successfully recovered from his on-pitch cardiac arrest suffered while playing for Luton Town in the Premier League in 2023, invited Wrexham fan Maurice Jones down to Bristol Rovers training ground to hear his story first-hand. The two cardiac arrest survivors are keen to use their experience and unique personal stories to inspire football fans across Wales to learn CPR.
Lifelong Wrexham fan Maurice Jones, 72, collapsed during a League One away game at Wycombe Wanderers on March 15 last year, after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest in the stands. The match was stopped for 40 minutes as medical staff rushed to his aid. Maurice was given CPR and shocked three times with a defibrillator before being put into an induced coma in hospital. The rapid response of the onsite medics was widely credited with saving his life.
Tom Lockyer said: “Maurice’s story is incredibly moving and the fact that he is still here is testament to the immediate intervention of the first responders.
“Neither of us would both not be alive today if it wasn’t for people’s willingness to step up and start immediate CPR. Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces a person’s chance of surviving a cardiac arrest by up to 10%.
“One of the most powerful things that you can do – for your friends, family and fellow fans – is to show your heart and learn CPR this heart month.
“That’s why, we are on a mission to build an army of lifesavers, fans that can step up and perform CPR, because when every minute matters, that knowledge can save a life. The BHF’s RevivR tool takes just 15 minutes – and it’s free and easy to use.”
Wrexham fan and cardiac arrest survivor, Maurice Jones, said: “The day I had the cardiac arrest felt just like any other. I’d had no warning signs that this was about to happen and no known history of heart disease.
“I’d walked three miles from the train station to the ground and felt completely fine when I sat down in the stands, other than a little agitated about not having the best view in the away end.
“The next thing I was waking up from a coma in intensive care, surrounded by medics and my wife.
“Without the quick action of those around me to perform CPR I wouldn’t be here – both Tom and I are living proof of that.
“It was amazing to meet a Welsh footballing legend and know that so many famous faces – and the entire Wrexham team – are backing this campaign.
“I’m hoping that sharing my story will encourage fellow fans to come together to show their heart and learn CPR this heart month.”
All 72 EFL clubs will play a central role in driving vital awareness and inspiring action. Thirty-six EFL fixtures, from the 5-9 February, across all three EFL divisions, are set to kick-off one minute later than scheduled, as a stark reminder that every minute matters when it comes to performing life-saving CPR.
Ahead of the 11 televised EFL games scheduled from 5-9 February – starting with the live televised game between Accrington Stanley and Salford City on Thursday 5th – team captains will also make the iconic heart-hand gesture to inspire fans to ‘Show Your Heart’ by learning lifesaving CPR through RevivR.
Sky Bet is hoping for an avalanche of goals across the EFL this February as it has pledged £1,000 to the charity for every goal scored across all three EFL divisions this month. Based on historic league scoring trends, the commitment could see Sky Bet donations to the BHF top £300,000 in February alone.
There are around 2,800 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Wales each year. Each minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by up to 10 per cent. And tragically, just one in 20 people survive, often because those around them lack the skills or confidence to perform CPR.
Rhodri Thomas, Head of BHF Cymru said: “Tom and Maurice’s stories are powerful reminders that cardiac arrest can strike anyone, anywhere, and that the actions of people nearby are often the difference between life and death.
“Just one in 20 people survive an out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest in Wales, and with around 2,800 happening every year, every minute truly matters.
“That’s why, this Heart Month, we’re urging everyone in Wales to show your heart and take just 15 minutes to learn CPR using our free RevivR tool. It’s simple, it’s quick, and it could save the life of someone you love.”
First launched at Wembley in May 2024, Every Minute Matters has already had a stadium-sized impact. The campaign set out to engage 270,000 people how to perform CPR using the BHF’s free RevivR tool and smashed that target by inspiring over 450,000 fans to start learning CPR. This February the Every Minute Matters is aiming to take it to the next level with a bold ambition to engage over 500,000 lifesavers by the end of February.
Sky Bet will leverage its full EFL media inventory, with Show Your Heart messaging, encouraging fans to step up and learn CPR, running across LEDs, matchday programmes and club digital and social media throughout February.
