Tom Lockyer Champions Life-Saving CPR Campaign After His Own Cardiac Arrest Survival
Professional footballer Tom Lockyer has become the passionate ambassador for a crucial new initiative that aims to transform football fans into potential lifesavers. The Every Minute Matters campaign, backed by the English Football League (EFL), is using symbolic kick-off times across matches this weekend to highlight the importance of learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Unusual Kick-Off Times Carry Vital Message
This weekend's EFL fixtures will feature deliberately adjusted start times to reinforce the campaign's central message. Accrington Stanley's League Two clash against Salford City will commence at 20:01, while Charlton Athletic's match against Queens Park Rangers on Friday will also begin at the same symbolic time.
On Saturday, seven fixtures across the league will kick off at 12:31, with the remaining matches starting at 15:01. The Championship encounter between Swansea City and Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday will begin at 12:01. These carefully chosen times represent the critical minutes that matter when someone suffers a cardiac arrest.
Lockyer's Personal Journey From Cardiac Arrest to Campaign Frontman
For Tom Lockyer, this campaign carries profound personal significance. Just over two years ago, the defender's heart stopped beating for nearly three minutes after he suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for Luton Town against Bournemouth in the Premier League. Remarkably, the 31-year-old has made a full recovery and has since made 11 appearances for Bristol Rovers following his emotional comeback in October.
"The fact I am playing is amazing," Lockyer reflects. "And that is why this means so much to me. I am enjoying my time back playing because let's be realistic, it did not seem likely... to say the least. But with the experiences I have had, I've realised there is a lot more to life than football. That is why this campaign is so important. Life is so precious."
The former Luton Town player credits the swift actions of medical professionals who administered CPR with saving his life during that terrifying incident at Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium.
Campaign Aims to Create Half a Million Lifesavers
The Every Minute Matters initiative, launched by Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation (BHF), has already surpassed its initial target. "When we started this, we had a goal of getting 270,000 people to learn CPR - three Wembley Stadiums' worth," Lockyer explains. "We are now over 450,000 people, which is absolutely amazing. We are now trying to reach the half a million target in the month of February."
The campaign encourages people to complete the BHF's free online CPR tutorial called RevivR, which takes just 15 minutes to complete. Lockyer emphasises the simplicity and power of this skill: "I simply wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the people who acted fast and stepped up to perform CPR. Learning this skill is one of the simplest but most powerful ways you can show your heart — because when someone collapses, what you do next can save their life."
Football Community Unites Behind Vital Cause
The EFL has thrown its full support behind the campaign, with club captains across all divisions set to make the heart-hand gesture before their delayed kick-offs this weekend. Sky Bet has pledged to donate £1,000 to the BHF for every EFL goal scored throughout February.
The initiative has attracted support from numerous football personalities including Graeme Souness, Sam Allardyce, Jermain Defoe, Glenn Hoddle, and most recently Micah Richards. Richards commented: "Listening to Tom and seeing what he has achieved is inspirational. If football can do this, and create an army of half a million lifesavers, it would be an incredible achievement."
This remarkable collaboration between football organisations, betting companies, heart health charities, and survivors like Tom Lockyer represents a powerful example of how sports can drive positive social change and potentially save countless lives through increased CPR awareness and training.
