Brentford FC’s recent Premier League fixture at Gtech Community Stadium against Manchester City saw the Heart of West London (HoWL) partnership, and its mission to improve heart health in the community, thrust into the spotlight.

HoWL is a partnership between Brentford and key players in the cardiac health world, which aims to increase awareness of cardiac health issues and ensure everyone has the skills to save a life.

Made up of Brentford, Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals Charity, Resuscitation Council UK, London Ambulance Charity, A-K-A Day and Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), the campaign aims to teach people CPR skills and raise money for free heart screenings and groundbreaking cardiac research.

In dedication to HoWL, Brentford players’ jerseys during the clash featured a heart-shaped ‘CPQR’ code, which took fans to Resuscitation Council UK’s CPR video tutorial. These kits were signed by the players and auctioned by club partner MatchWornShirts, with 100 per cent of the proceeds donated to HoWL.

The players also brought attention to the work that CRY is doing in the community. According to CRY’s research, 12 young people die from undiagnosed heart conditions every week in the UK. Brentford’s squad wore warm-up shirts with the number 12 on them, helping to bring awareness to this statistic.

Fans played their part as well, with those sitting in the north stand at the Gtech raising coloured cards above their heads pre-game which featured a heart and the number 12, making for a powerful message by the Bees community.

Nity Raj, Brentford general counsel, said: “The Heart of West London partnership continues to change the game in cardiac health and the Manchester City fixture highlighted the impact that we can have in spreading this message within the community.

“The buy in from players, coaches, staff and the fans was amazing to see and it sent a powerful message to all of us in attendance and those watching from home.”

CRY CEO Steven Cox added: “We feel very privileged that Brentford chose this game against Manchester City, at the start of our 30th anniversary year, to highlight and raise awareness that hidden heart conditions continue to claim the lives of 12 young people every week in the UK.

“CRY has had a long relationship with Brentford FC, going back to when CRY patron Andy Scott was at the club and a cardiac screening session was held at their ground in 2009 in memory of young fan, Tom Clabburn.

“The ongoing partnership took a new level of momentum in 2018, following the sudden death of Robert Rowan, the club’s technical director who tragically died in his sleep aged just 28, after suffering a fatal episode caused by the condition cardiomyopathy.

“Three decades since our launch, CRY is proud to announce that we’ve screened more than 315,000 young people to date, with our research continuing to show that one in 300 of the young people screened by CRY’s team of experts will be identified with a potentially fatal heart anomaly, requiring urgent further attention.

“We still need more awareness, more research into these conditions and crucially more screening of young people.”

For more information about the Heart of West London visit: www.c-r-y.org.uk/heartofwestlondon/