Graeme Souness urges Scotland football fans to look after their heart health as he backs British Heart Foundation Scotland as Rangers Charity Foundation’s new charity partner
Ahead of World Heart Day tomorrow (29 September), former Rangers player and manager, Graeme Souness, is urging Scottish football fans to look after their heart health as he backs British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland as the Rangers Charity Foundation’s new national charity partner.
The partnership will last for the 2023/24 season with the Foundation pledging to raise £25,000 for BHF Scotland.
It will also help raise awareness of heart and circulatory diseases – conditions which are some of the nation’s biggest killers, causing around 50 deaths each day, and are estimated to affect 700,000 people in Scotland.
David McColgan, Head of British Heart Foundation Scotland commented: “We’re delighted the Rangers Charity Foundation has chosen BHF Scotland as its national charity partner for the season.
“Heart and circulatory diseases are some of Scotland’s biggest killers and we hope this partnership will help us raise awareness in Scotland’s footballing community about the importance of looking after your heart health, while also enabling more people to learn lifesaving CPR skills and raise an incredible amount of money for the British Heart Foundation.”
Graeme Souness has personal experience of heart disease and understands first-hand how important the lifesaving research the BHF helps to fund is.
The football legend said: “I was diagnosed with coronary heart disease at 38 and had a triple bypass. When I was diagnosed, I was extremely fit. I never thought I’d be the type of person to get heart disease, but if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.
“Ten years later, I had a stent fitted as another one of my arteries had become blocked. Then in November 2015, I was rushed to hospital after suffering a heart attack at home.
“Thankfully, I’m now OK, but without the research the BHF has helped fund into heart and circulatory diseases, it could have been a different story.”
The charity partnership will also encourage at least 50,000 people – the capacity of Ibrox Stadium – to learn lifesaving CPR via the BHF’s free online tool, RevivR.
RevivR allows people to learn CPR in just 15 minutes and aims to give people the skills and confidence to save a life. It teaches people how to recognise a cardiac arrest, gives feedback on chest compressions and outlines the correct steps in using a defibrillator. All people need is a mobile phone and a firm cushion.
The Rangers Charity Foundation will be spreading the word about the RevivR app, which can be downloaded at www.rangerscharity.org.uk/Revivr, to supporters and the wider public throughout the season.
Rangers Charity Foundation Chief Executive Connal Cochrane added: “The work of the British Heart Foundation Scotland aligns closely with the Foundation’s strategic priorities in terms of health and well-being and education and we are delighted to be able to combine both these pillars in a project which will roll out life-saving skills to thousands of fans.
“Our donation this season will support the British Heart Foundation’s RevivR app which is a really simple, easy way to learn key skills in your own home which could save a life.
“We also look forward to working with the British Heart Foundation on a number of other initiatives over the course of the season, such as providing free blood pressure checks at some home games for fans and sharing important information about heart health and where to go for help and advice.”
For more information about the British Heart Foundation visit: bhf.org.uk or to find out more about the Rangers Charity Foundation visit: rangerscharity.org.uk
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