Cumberland FA have teamed up with the British Heart Foundation for the 2023/24 season.
Beginning now, the link up will raise awareness of their work, raise funds for their lifesaving research and promote the interactive, online CPR training course, RevivR, across the county’s grassroots football community.
Cumberland FA will provide health information linked to the heart and circulatory system and known risk factors throughout the season.
Cumberland clubs, teams, match officials, and individuals can also get involved in fundraising and support the grassroots football community into action to better improve their health.
Ben Snowdon, Cumberland FA CEO, said: “Recent events, including the loss of our chairman, have brought into perspective how precious life can be.
“Our hope is that by working with the BHF we can assist them in raising awareness of the work that they undertake including their ground-breaking scientific research, their heart helpline, which provides information to help those living with heart and circulatory diseases to get the guidance, support and access to the services they need.
“Most importantly it’s about educating people so that they feel more able to help that person in their hour of need in the hope that they may get more time with the ones they love.”
As part of the partnership, Cumberland clubs who are at the hub of their communities will have the opportunity to get involved by selling pin badges or housing collection boxes within their club-houses (“Buy a pint for a loved one” donations) and/or become a hub for BHF charity shop donations collection.
These are just some of the ideas where there are potentially huge gains for the BHF with little additional work from the club’s themselves.
During the cost-of-living crisis the Cumberland FA is keen to offer support to this vital charity without overburdening their clubs.
The CEO added: “If everyone can do a little, it can go a long way to support the 7.6 million UK sufferers.
“Following the launch of the partnership, we will be communicating with clubs to move forward in time for the new season.
“At the beginning of the new 2023-24 season, a weekend of action will take place to promote the partnership and give leagues, clubs and referees the chance to get involved.
“There will opportunities to complete either the BHF RevivR CPR training or the England Football Cardiac Arrest module and raise awareness of the importance of how to save a life in grassroots football and beyond.”
As part of the partnership Cumberland FA and the BHF have set up a JustGiving page enable the grassroots football community (and beyond) across Cumberland to join in the partnership through raising funds their own way supporting this cause, together.
To kick off the fundraising Cumberland FA donated all collections from the recent County Cup Finals to the Just Giving page with just over £240 donated so far.
Match officials involved in the Cumberland Cup, Women’s County Cup and a number of the Youth County Cup Finals also donated their match fees to the total.
