Building on Brentford FC’s work to promote cardiac health in the past, one year ago today the club launched a new initiative, the Heart of West London.
This initiative aims to tackle a crucial issue - heart health - and use the power of football to fund medical research, promote life-saving CPR skills, organise more heart screenings, and offer support to those affected by cardiac issues.
Nity Raj, general counsel at Brentford FC, who led the initiative, spoke at the time of the launch about why this continues to be an issue which is important to the club
He said: “We started on a journey of supporting cardiac health following the tragic death of technical director, Rob Rowan in 2018. This alliance and the initiatives that are to come will serve as a lasting legacy to our friend.”
The Heart of West London group has been made up of Brentford FC, Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals Charity, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), Resuscitation Council UK, Pablo London and A-K-A Day.
One year on, we look back on some of the highlights and achievements
Our campaign kicked off with a launch event where club staff and former Bees player Sergi Canos learned CPR together. This set the tone for the year ahead, demonstrating our commitment to equipping our community with life-saving skills.
Linked to the Resuscitation Council’s ‘Restart a Heart Day’ activities, Brentford’s players lined up against Chelsea in October 2022 in jerseys featuring a heart-shaped ‘CPQR code’ encouraging millions watching around the globe to take two minutes to learn the basics of CPR. The innovative idea, developed with agency Pablo London, was nominated for Best Integrated Digital PR Campaign at the UK Digital PR Awards 2023.
In December, the Robert Rowan Performance Centre was officially opened with members of Robert’s family, including his wife Suzanne and mum Jackie, part of the ceremony.
Brentford FC director of football Phil Giles said at the time: “While Robert’s time at the club was tragically cut short, the naming of our new performance centre after him is a fitting way to remember his immense legacy.
“On a personal level, walking past his portrait every morning on my way into the centre will make me, and I’m sure everyone else who was fortunate enough to know Robert, smile, thinking of our good friend, but also be a reminder to make the most of every day that we have here.”
Into the new year, Brentford teamed up with Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals Charity to raise £200,000 for ground-breaking sports cardiology research. The world-first research study - led by Dr Sabiha Gati, consultant cardiologist at Royal Brompton Hospital - aimed to help identify young people aged 14-35 who may be vulnerable to young, sudden cardiac death.
Fans and staff alike have been getting involved in the fundraising efforts taking on marathon and cycling events across London. Alongside the club’s match-funding, we are on track to hit the £200,000 target.
The Brentford Lifeline Society has also been providing financial support towards cardiac assistance. Over the past 12 months, the society has funded lifesaving equipment for the club and its fans, including defibrillators and a LUCAS machine which provides consistent chest compressions to cardiac arrest patients on the move.
In April, in partnership with CRY, more than 160 young people aged 14-35 were screened at the Community Stadium Hub. Pontus Jansson and Josh Dasilva were there to offer their support.
The sessions were arranged with the support of Suzanne Rowan who continues to be a driving force behind the campaign. Suzanne reflected on the weekend: “Robert’s family and I are incredibly grateful for the support with the screenings, and we’re delighted that so many young hearts have been checked by CRY in his memory.”
In the first-ever Robert Rowan Invitational, played in May, Brentford B came back from being 2-0 down against Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad to win the match 3-2 with a header from Tristan Crama adding to earlier strikes from Nathan Young-Coombes and Michael Olakigbe, with all proceeds going to Heart of West London.
Also in May, over 250 supporters got involved in the A K A Day initiative. They committed to running, walking or cycling 1k, 2k or 5k every day over the month of May. Not only did this enable those involved to benefit from daily exercise, it also raised money and awareness for more cardiac screenings for young people in the local area.
At the final match of our season against Manchester City, two Brentford matchday stewards were recognised for their role in saving the life of a fan who suffered a cardiac arrest at our fixture against Newcastle United at the Gtech Community Stadium. Thanks to the quick reaction of our stewards, Jake Mead-Baker and Abdul Hakazada, they were able to help save Bees fan Raymond Harrison’s life by performing CPR.
The stewards were presented with Heart of West London awards, recognising their contribution to cardiac health in the community. Raymond Harrison and his wife Lesley were in attendance to give thanks to the stewards.
In July this year, Brentford launched Thousands of Stories, a series consisting of short films sharing the stories of the club’s community.
The series kicked off with the first of four films, The Pressure, which looked at the stress of being a Premier League head coach as Thomas Frank wore a heart rate monitor throughout the day of the club’s 2022/23 home fixture against West Ham United.
The film explored the importance of cardiac health with viewers discovering how Frank’s heart fluctuates in reaction to pivotal elements during the football match, including substitutions and VAR decisions.
And as Brentford ventured to the USA on their pre-season tour, the campaign's influence extended far beyond west London.
Collaborations with the American Heart Association and Miss DC allowed the message of heart health and CPR education to spread stateside. Visits to hospitals in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Washington DC provided valuable lessons to the club delegation to bring back to the UK.
In just 12 months, the Heart of West London campaign has proven that the power of football can extend far beyond the pitch.
We extend our deep appreciation to all of our partner organisations, to our staff and to all of our fans who have been involved.
Together, we will continue to use the power of sport and our collective voice to change the game for cardiac health in west London.