Vinnie Jones will lead an unprecedented CPR demo in front of a packed crowd of over 80,000 fans at Wembley this weekend as Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation mark the culmination of their incredible ‘Every Minute Matters’ campaign at the Sky Bet EFL Championship Play-Off Final.
The former pro turned Hollywood star will be joined on the hallowed turf at half-time by Luton Town captain and cardiac arrest survivor Tom Lockyer to encourage thousands of fans to join the Every Minute Matters ‘army of lifesavers’.
The unprecedented move comes two years after Lockyer collapsed on the pitch with a heart scare during Luton’s emotional Play-Off Final victory over Coventry City in 2023.
Vinnie Jones, Tom Lockyer and BHF Senior Programme Manager Lizzie Moscardini will demonstrate the correct way to administer CPR, with a live feed beamed onto Wembley’s giant screens, in a powerful moment aimed at raising awareness and encouraging people to head online and learn CPR using the BHF’s simple online tool, RevivR.
And with all eyes focused on the dramatic finale, the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final will kick off at the symbolic time of 15:01 – a minute later than normal – to highlight that every minute really does matter when it comes to saving lives.
The chances of survival after a cardiac arrest decrease by 10 per cent for every minute that passes without effective CPR or defibrillation.
Vinnie Jones
‘Every Minute Matters’ campaign ambassador Vinnie Jones, who famously starred in a BHF CPR ad to the tune of ‘Staying Alive’ in 2012, said: “I’ve done a bit in my time – but this might be one of the most important things I’ve been part of.
“This is about saving lives and giving people a fighting chance. If someone has suffered a cardiac arrest, you’ve got to know what to do.”
He continued: “Football brings people together, and this campaign’s proved the power of football to do a lot of good.
“We’ve got nearly 90,000 fans at Wembley – if even a handful walk away knowing CPR, that could be the difference between life and death. Simple as that.”
Sky Bet and BHF joined forces a year ago with the aim of encouraging 270,000 people – equivalent to the capacity of three Wembley stadiums – to learn CPR in just 12 months.
The pioneering partnership has smashed that ambition striking a chord with the football community to inspire over 300,000 people to start learning CPR using the BHF’s free online tool, RevivR.
There are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK each year, equating to at least five every 90 minutes.
And tragically, less than one in ten people survive them in this country, often because those around them lack the skills or confidence to perform CPR.
Donation
The BHF is set for a significant fundraising boost this May as Sky Bet has pledged to donate £10K for every goal scored during this season’s Sky Bet EFL Play-Offs.
With 25 goals already scored and three finals still to play it’s hoped that figure could top 30. This builds on Sky Bet’s yearlong fundraising efforts which has seen the brand commit to donate £3million to support the BHF’s vital lifesaving work.
Fellow ‘Every Minute Matters’ campaign ambassador Tom Lockyer will be joining Vinnie at Wembley on Saturday to share his story with Sunderland and Sheffield United fans.
His appearance marks a poignant return to Wembley for Tom who collapsed at the home of football with an arrhythmia just eight minutes into Luton Town’s Play-Off final in May 2023.
Tom later suffered a cardiac arrest during Luton’s Premier League match against Bournemouth in December 2023.
Tom Lockyer
Despite the enormity of what he faced, Tom has overcome adversity and turned his experience into a powerful force for good playing a pivotal role as an ambassador for the ‘Every Minute Matters’ campaign.
Tom Lockyer, said: “This campaign has brought fans, players and clubs together like never before – and the result is nothing short of incredible.
In just a year, we’ve helped more than 300,000 people to start learning CPR. That’s a massive achievement, and one I’m incredibly proud of.
He continued: “I’m one of the lucky ones, but the stark reality is that most people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest won’t be so lucky.
“That’s why on Saturday at Wembley I’ll be calling for one final effort from the fans because every extra person we inspire to learn CPR could one day go on to save a life.”
Steve Birch
Sky Bet Chief Commercial Officer Steve Birch, said: “A year ago we set out with a single-minded ambition to leverage our brand and our sponsorship of the EFL to mobilise football fans and the nation behind the vital goal of getting 270,000 people learning CPR.
“Not only have we achieved that target we’ve exceeded it thanks to a truly transformative partnership between ourselves, the British Heart Foundation and of course the EFL.”
He continued: “We’re incredibly proud of our title sponsorship of the EFL and the Sky Bet EFL Play-Offs and it’s amazing to see how that partnership has flourished to the extent that on Saturday collectively we will turn one of the biggest games in football – the Championship Play-Off Final – into a powerful platform for education turning thousands of fans into an army of lifesavers.”
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: “Vinnie and Tom have always been fantastic supporters of the BHF’s mission to save more lives and we want to thank them for stepping up at Wembley to encourage more people to learn vital CPR.“
In the event of a cardiac arrest, every minute matters and knowing CPR can drastically improve the chances of survival. That’s why we urgently need more people to learn this lifesaving skill, which takes just 15 minutes using our online tool, RevivR.
“The generous support of Sky Bet in our Every Minute Matters campaign has been truly lifesaving, encouraging hundreds of thousands to learn CPR and raising vital funds for research into heart and circulatory conditions.”
To learn CPR in just 15 minutes, visit bhf.org.uk/revivr
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