Brentford FC encourage Londoners to learn CPR ahead of festive period

The Resuscitation Council says performing CPR could be the difference between life and death

Brentford Football Club are one of the organisations backing the training of CPR
Author: Claire BoadPublished 4th Dec 2024

People across the UK are being encouraged to learn the life-saving skill of CPR ahead of the Christmas period.

The campaign, lead by The Resuscitation Council UK, says the skill could be the difference between saving someone's life.

There are more than 100,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK every year, and of the more than 34,000 treated by ambulance personnel fewer than one in ten people survive.

CPR and the use of a defibrillator double someone's chances of survival.

One organisation backing the call is Brentford Football Club.

In 2023 two stewards, Jake Mead-Baker and Abdul Hakazada saved the life of Raymond Harrison after he had a cardiac arrest The Dugout.

Club director Nity Raj told us "CPR is maybe the most important lesson you will ever learn. It is something that is super easy to learn, it might take two minutes to learn how to do it.

"Yet is is the thing that you will need to know to save a loved ones life".

Nity told us they have backed the campaign for a number of years as cardiac arrests have had a direct impact on its staff and players.

"We've had staff members that have sadly passed away due to cardiac issues.

"We've had at least one staff member, the player Christian Eriksen, very famously have, on the pitch at the Euros, a cardiac arrest. He got help very quickly and survived.

"It's quite often a family member who needs CPR. Every minute they don't get CPR, 10% comes off their survival chances so it makes a massive difference"

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