Bristol Rovers and NHS Collaboration Delivers Life-Saving CPR Training to College Students

Marc Lewis
3 days ago
4 min read

Bristol Rovers Community Trust has continued its impactful collaboration with North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) by delivering a powerful, hands-on CPR training event to students at the Memorial Stadium - equipping the next generation with skills that can genuinely save lives.

Around 70 students from the Bristol Rovers Community Trust College took part in the session, which was delivered by Resuscitation Practitioners from both NHS Trusts. The training focused on the importance of early intervention during cardiac emergencies, teaching students how to perform CPR and how to use a defibrillator - a device that can restart the heart during sudden cardiac arrest.

The event comes at a crucial time. Recent figures show that nearly half of UK adults (43%) have never learned CPR, leaving around 23 million people without these potentially life-saving skills. Each year, more than 34,000 people suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK - and many of these deaths could be prevented if CPR is started before emergency services arrive.

Inspired by Tom Lockyer’s Story

The importance of CPR in football - and in everyday life - has been underlined by several high-profile incidents in recent years, including Fabrice Muamba in 2012 and Bristol Rovers player Tom Lockyer in 2023.

Tom, who began his professional career with the Gas and returned to the club in 2025, has since become a passionate advocate for CPR education, working with Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation to raise awareness and improve survival rates.

He attended the training day alongside First Team Manager Steve Evans and delivered a powerful speech to students, reflecting on his own experience of suffering a cardiac arrest during a match.

Tom Lockyer said:

“I’m living proof of the power of CPR - quick thinking, CPR and a defibrillator saved my life, and without that response I simply wouldn’t be here today. I’m incredibly proud to be here at the Memorial Stadium supporting this CPR training event. It means a lot to me to be able to give something back to the community and help give these students the confidence to step in during an emergency and potentially save a life.”

Giving Young People the Confidence to Act

The session also highlighted national and local life-saving initiatives such as the Every Minute Matters campaign and the Reviver app, both of which aim to improve survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest by encouraging faster bystander response.

Students were shown how quick action can double or even triple someone’s chance of survival - reinforcing the message that every second truly counts.

NBT Medical Director Dr Samir Patel attended the event, answering students’ questions about CPR and emergency response, and later joined BBC Radio Bristol presenter Joe Sims to discuss the importance of the initiative and the wider impact of CPR education in the community - Dr Patel said:

“This is one of the first of hopefully many community sessions as part of our collaboration with Bristol Rovers Community Trust. It shows the power of working together to harness our shared expertise to make a real difference in our community. Every minute matters in a cardiac arrest, and by giving students the confidence to act, we’re teaching these young people how to possibly save a life”

Bristol NHS Group Chief Executive Maria Kane added:

“This is a great example of how working together across healthcare, education and sport can make a real difference. The level of engagement from the students was fantastic, and it’s clear how powerful this training has been in building their confidence to act in an emergency. I’d like to thank our brilliant colleagues from both Trusts for their commitment and expertise in delivering this vital, life-saving work, helping to ensure more people are ready to step in when every second counts.”

A Partnership Making a Real Difference

The event forms part of UHBW’s ongoing community outreach work, which aims to raise first aid awareness and empower people across Bristol to act confidently in emergencies. It also reflects the growing collaboration between Bristol Rovers Football Club, Bristol Rovers Community Trust, NBT and UHBW to deliver meaningful health, education and wellbeing initiatives across the region.

Adam Tutton, CEO of Bristol Rovers Community Trust, said:

“CPR training is vital because it gives people the confidence and skills to act in those first critical moments of a cardiac emergency, when quick action can save a life. Tom Lockyer’s story powerfully shows the difference that early CPR and defibrillation can make. Since Tom returned to Bristol Rovers, we’ve been inspired to make CPR education a real priority. Teaching life-saving skills to our students and local residents not only empowers them but could genuinely save a life one day.”

The day was made possible thanks to the outstanding work of Resuscitation Practitioners Katie Snook and Philippa Haggitt (UHBW) and Andrea Livingstone (NBT), who delivered the training and supported students throughout the sessions. Katie also demonstrated CPR techniques to attending media and took part in interviews to help spread the message even further.

Katie Snook said:

“Teaching CPR is about removing fear and giving people the confidence to act. You don’t need to be a medical professional to save a life - you just need to be willing to step in. Seeing how engaged the students were during the sessions was incredibly encouraging.”

Creating a Safer, More Informed Community

Since Tom Lockyer’s return to the club, Bristol Rovers Community Trust has actively sought opportunities to embed CPR education across its programmes - ensuring that these vital skills are shared not just with students, but across the wider community.