Brentford and its partners are celebrating three years of Heart of West London, our campaign to improve cardiac health in the community.

Launched in 2022, the partnership continues to raise awareness of cardiac health issues and aims to give everyone in west London and beyond the skills to save a life.

Today (Wednesday 12 November) marks seven years since Brentford’s former technical director, Robert Rowan, tragically suffered a fatal cardiomyopathy episode.

Robert lost his life due to an undiagnosed heart condition. Sadly, this is not rare: in the UK, it is estimated that 12 people under the age of 35 die each week from undiagnosed heart conditions.

The Brentford area is also a ‘cardiac hotspot’, with a high number of cardiac arrests, but lower access to publicly available defibrillators.

To honour Robert’s memory, the club launched Heart of West London (HoWL), a partnership that brings together leading voices in cardiac health to protect our community.

Working with Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals Charity, Cardiac Risk in the Young, Resuscitation Council UK, London Ambulance Charity, and A-K-A Day, we’ve funded groundbreaking research, provided life-saving cardiac screenings, and delivered CPR education to thousands.

Now in its third year, HoWL is going from strength to strength as we continue our mission to build a community of healthy hearts.

Our impact

HoWL partners are united by four objectives: awareness, education, prevention and research.

By sharing expertise, resources and access to the community, we’ve been able to equip our people with life-saving skills and help those who are most at risk.

Awareness

Across the last three seasons, Brentford has dedicated five Premier League matchdays to HoWL, emphasising the importance of good cardiac health to thousands of fans at Gtech Community Stadium and millions more watching at home.

Matchdays have included live CPR demonstrations for fans around the Gtech and opportunities for supporters to learn CPR with a video tutorial by scanning Resuscitation Council UK’s ‘CPQR’ code.

Brentford players’ match shirts also include the code and are auctioned by club partner MatchWornShirt after the games, with proceeds donated to the campaign.

Education

80 per cent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home. Early CPR intervention can double the chances of survival.

CPR education is critical to how we equip our community with the skills to save lives. Through HoWL campaign events, Brentford FC Community Sports Trust have delivered CPR training to 1,164 people, meanwhile increasing the number of Trust staff that are qualified to teach CPR.

Many of these people have been fans who will take their skills back into the community. Sessions are also delivered to Brentford B and Under-18s players to increase CPR knowledge amongst young athletes.

You can take two minutes to learn CPR now with a tutorial video on Resuscitation Council UK's website.

Prevention

Early intervention is essential to identifying undiagnosed heart conditions and putting someone on course to a healthier future.

Since HoWL’s launch, 752 people aged 18-35 have received a free cardiac screening by Cardiac Risk in the Young.

Of these, 85 people have been flagged as high-risk and referred for further, potentially life-saving investigation.

Research

Funds donated to the campaign support groundbreaking research at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals Charity, focusing on cardiovascular disease in young adults and athletes.

Research lead Dr Sabhi Gati aims to find more effective treatments and inform international guidance on ECG interpretation, which is how heart rate and rhythm is measured to assess risk.

In the last three years, more than £200,000 worth of funding has been raised, with £100,000 matched and donated by Brentford FC. Fans and staff members have got involved by running races.

Funds have also been raised through ticket sales to the annual Robert Rowan Invitational, a Brentford B team exhibition fixture hosted at the Gtech.

Robert is credited for his role in the creation of the B team and the three fixtures so far have raised £18,000 for cardiac research.

Thank you to our fans, community and partners for supporting the Heart of West London campaign and our mission to change the game for cardiac health. For Robert, and for every beating heart.

Find out more about the campaign and make a donation here.