This year, Burnley Football Club and Burnley FC in the Community are supporting Sky Bet and EFL’s Every Minute Matters Relay Campaign which encourages people to ‘donate their time’ and learn their life-saving skill of CPR.
There are unfortunately more than 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests in the UK every 12 months, and every minute without CPR reduces the chances of survival by up to 10 per cent.
On Tuesday 1st April, three members of staff from across the charity and club will be taking on a 71km bike ride from Turf Moor, Burnley to Valley Parade, Bradford.
This initiative aims to raise awareness about CPR. One story that highlights its importance is that of Sharon Swindells, the Safeguarding Manager at Burnley FC in the Community.
In June 2024, Sharon was in Majorca enjoying a holiday with her husband and friends when she suddenly had a cardiac arrest. Sharon was unconscious for 50 minutes, was defibrillated 6 times, and was worked on by 10 different individuals including 2 police officers, 2 off the clock nurses, 2 lifeguards and the man who truly saved her life, who was a full-time carer for his wife, and taught everyone present how to safely do CPR and how to save Sharons life.
Sharon told us “I don’t remember anything from the day but the recovery and the trauma following that day have been a real struggle for not only myself but my family and friends too. Before my cardiac arrest, heart health had never impacted me or my family, so it wasn’t something that was ever at the forefront of my brain but after my experience it has really highlighted how important every minute matters campaign is because every minute does truly matter.”
“If the man who saved my life hadn’t been trained in CPR, my outcome could have been very different. Unlike heart attacks, cardiac arrests can often occur without any warning at all. I had no idea that my life was going to be completely turned on its head.”
“If I could give any advice, it would be that everyone in the world should download the Revivr app. If having this app can help you to save someone’s life, then there really is no reason not to download it!”
Sharon returned to Turf Moor in November 2024 and has since continued spreading her love around the office and making everyone laugh. She has participated in challenges like one mile a day for the British Heart Foundation and works hard to keep raising awareness! Stories like Sharon’s are a constant reminder to us all how important every single minute is.
Please donate 15 minutes of your time to learning CPR, you could help save someone’s life.