Vinnie Jones Joins Sky Bet and BHF to Promote CPR Awareness

WITH not long to go before the transfer window slams shut, Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) have pulled off a spectacular transfer coup by signing former football hardman Vinnie Jones. 

The Hollywood actor joins the star-studded ‘Restarting 11’ – an inspirational team of football stars and real-life heroes – as the squad’s enforcer tasked with using his unique powers of persuasion to encourage fans across the nation to step up and learn CPR.

The Wimbledon midfielder turned actor has a long-standing relationship with the British Heart Foundation, following his starring role in the 2012 ‘Hands-Only’ CPR advert, which has led to countless lives being saved. His transfer to the Restarting 11 gives the Every Minute Matters campaign renewed impetus going into the 2024/25 season.

To raise awareness of the Every Minute Matters campaign, Vinnie’s first step is starring in a humorous social media skit that sees him ‘encouraging’ fans to learn CPR in his own inimitable style.

Shot at the home of AFC Wimbledon, Plough Lane, the social media film comes off the back of a new survey commissioned by Sky Bet that explores the lack of confidence in performing CPR among football fans.

The survey of 3,000 football fans reveals that 44% have been in a situation where someone around them required CPR, with the survey also highlighting significant skills and confidence deficits when it comes to stepping up and performing CPR. In fact, 42% of fans have never received CPR training and 45% say they would lack the confidence to perform CPR, should they find themselves in a situation where it is required.

When it comes to what’s stopping fans from learning CPR, the fan survey highlights that awareness remains the single biggest barrier for nearly a third (29%), who say they simply don’t know where to go to learn CPR.

The survey also suggests that inaccurate perceptions of CPR training may also be holding fans back, with almost half (46%) wrongly believing that you need to attend multiple training sessions to learn CPR and almost a quarter of fans (23%) saying they think CPR training is really complicated.

The data also indicates that the fear of making a mistake weighs heavy on fans’ minds – a quarter (25%) admit to worrying about doing more harm than good by getting CPR wrong.

Vinnie is helping to spread the word about the BHF’s free online tool, RevivR, which can teach CPR in 15 minutes using just a phone and a cushion.

Launched in May this year by Sky Bet and the BHF, the groundbreaking Every Minute Matters campaign is on a mission to donate up to £3 million to the charity and to encourage 270,000 people to learn CPR – equivalent to three Wembley Stadiums.

Since the campaign began in May, nearly 70,000 have started to learn CPR using the BHF’s RevivR online tool.

An incredible £380,000 was raised through goals scored during the Sky Bet Play-Offs in May, with Crawley’s players alone accounting for 10 goals.

Sky Bet has strengthened its support for the campaign by pledging to donate £10,000 to the BHF for every stoppage-time winner scored across games in the EFL’s Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two this season, with £50,000 already raised.

Jones, a former Wimbledon and Leeds star and Wales international said:

“Out of all my roles on and off the pitch teaming up with Sky Bet and the BHF might just be one of my most important roles. It quite literally could be lifesaving.

“Sky Bet’s football fan survey shows that low awareness and lack of confidence is holding fans back from stepping up, but the reality is fans have nothing to fear as learning CPR is simple and easy and only takes 15 mins with the BHF’s online RevivR tool.

“That’s why, this season I’m urging football fans to back the Every Minute Matters campaign and ask themselves one simple question – will they stand by or will they step up to learn CPR and potentially save someone’s life.”

Re-Starting XI co-manager Graeme Souness said the new signing would also have a captivating effect on footballers across the English Football League – whose goals this season will help drive up the total of Sky Bet’s donation to the BHF.

Souness said:

“We all know about Vinnie’s persona on the pitch, but this guy cares. He did some incredible work with the British Heart Foundation back in 2012 and we just felt he was the right guy to bring in at this time to help drive us towards the incredible goal of having 270,000 people learn CPR – anyone taking the time out to do this could make a real difference, by literally saving a life. Every Minute, Matters.”

There are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK each year, equating to at least five every 90 minutes. Each minute that passes without CPR reduces the chance of survival by up to 10 per cent. Tragically, less than one in ten people survive, often because those around them lack the skills or confidence to perform CPR.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at British Heart Foundation (BHF) said:

“Vinnie’s star turn in BHF’s legendary ‘Hands-Only CPR’ ad has played a huge role in helping save countless lives.

“For so many of us, ‘Staying Alive’ is the soundtrack of CPR, so it is a joy to have Vinnie backing our Sky Bet partnership to help hundreds of thousands more people learn this lifesaving skill. “Encouraging 270,000 fans to learn CPR via our RevivR tool will give them the confidence to become heart heroes and step up during the ultimate medical emergency.”

Sky Bet Chief Commercial Officer Steve Birch said:

“Our biggest goal with Every Minute Matters is making a real difference by funding the BHF’s vital work and getting more people to learn CPR. I can’t think of a better person to add to our team to continue the momentum towards 270,000than Vinnie Jones.”

To learn CPR in just 15 minutes, please visit: bhf.org.uk/revivr.