Heart Safe Sport
Heart Safe Sport is more than a campaign — it’s a mission to change outcomes in grassroots and professional sport.
Every year in the UK, around 30,000 people suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and tragically only 1 in 10 survive. In sport, where physical demand is high and large groups gather, the reality is simple: when something happens, the response in those first few minutes will determine the outcome.
But across grassroots sport, there’s a clear problem.
Clubs are full of dedicated coaches, volunteers, and staff who give up their time to support others — yet many operate without the confidence or up-to-date training needed to deal with a life-threatening emergency.
Initial first aid courses may have been completed years ago. Some have never had practical CPR or AED training at all. And even where equipment like defibrillators is available, there’s often uncertainty around:
Where it is
How to access it
And how to use it under pressure
Skills fade. Confidence drops. And in a real emergency, hesitation can cost lives.
This isn’t about blame — it’s about reality.
Most grassroots environments simply don’t have regular, accessible refresher training built into their culture. There’s no consistent expectation, no ongoing practice, and no clear plan for who does what when it matters most.
This campaign is built on real experience.
With a long background in sport, I’ve spent years coaching and leading teams in environments where responsibility extends far beyond performance. Player welfare, safety, and leadership under pressure are part of the role — whether people feel ready for it or not.
But this mission became personal when I suffered a cardiac arrest myself.
That experience changed everything. It reinforced just how critical immediate action is — early CPR, rapid access to an AED, and the confidence to step in without hesitation. Survival isn’t about luck; it’s about preparation.
That’s the “why” behind Heart Safe Sport.
I’m here to help change the culture in sport by:
Making CPR and AED training simple, accessible, and relevant
Encouraging regular refresher training — not just one-off courses
Building confidence so people can act quickly under pressure
Supporting clubs to create clear, practical emergency response plans
Because when something happens, it won’t be the most qualified person who saves a life — it will be the person who is ready.
Heart Safe Sport is about creating environments where the response is immediate, confident, and effective.
Because in those critical moments, confidence saves lives.