RCUK CPQR code to feature at Brentford vs Chelsea game on Wednesday 19 October

On Wednesday 19 October, Resuscitation Council UK will be raising awareness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at the Brentford FC fixture against Chelsea FC, which will be televised on Amazon at 7.30pm.

Our heart-shaped ‘CPQR code’ will feature prominently on the front of the Brentford FC players' shirts to encourage millions watching around the world to take two minutes to learn the basics of CPR.

Working with Pablo London, we created the heart-shaped 'CPQR code' as part of our Restart A Heart campaign for 2022. The aim of this bespoke QR code, is to increase survival rates by expanding the number of people who know the basic principles of CPR and defibrillation. 

Upon scanning the CPQR code, people are directed to a short and simple video on how to do CPR and save a life.

The code will also feature on the screens around the Gtech Community Stadium, the Club’s digital platforms and the cover of the matchday programme. CPR demonstrations from RCUK staff and volunteers from the London Ambulance Services will also take place around the stadium on the night.

In addition to this, Brentford First Team players Mads Roerslev and Keane Lewis-Potter will feature in an instructional video that will be published on social media.

This event forms part of the new Heart of West London partnership, which has been created between Brentford FC, Resuscitation Council UK and a number of other leading charities to improve heart health in the local community. Together, we will use the power of sport and our collective voice to change the game for cardiac health in West London. 

The Heart of West London is made up of Brentford FC, Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals Charity, Cardiac Risk in the Young, Resuscitation Council UK, Pablo London and A-K-A Day.

There are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK every year, and every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by ten per cent. Recent research carried out by OnePoll found that 74 per cent of people have learned how to perform CPR, but only 44 per cent feel confident in performing it if someone was in a life-threatening situation.

Brentford have also recently announced that their new training facility, to be opened later in the year, will be named the Robert Rowan Performance Centre, after the Bees' former technical director, who suffered a fatal cardiomyopathy episode in the early hours of Monday 12 November 2018, aged just 28.

Dr James Cant, Chief Executive of Resuscitation Council UK, said:

“We are excited to be partnering with Brentford FC. Our aim is to save as many lives as possible through education, training and working in collaboration, to raise vital awareness of cardiac arrest and heart disease.”

Jon Varney, Chief Executive of Brentford FC added:

“Cardiac health is an issue that is very important to us and to our local community. By putting the heart-shaped ‘CPQR code’ front and centre on our shirts for this match, we are able to use our platform to help teach the basics of CPR.

"We are urging our fans and those watching to take two minutes to learn the basic skills that could be the difference between a friend or family member surviving a cardiac arrest.”