Sheffield Wednesday FC has stepped up with a vital new initiative aimed at installing up to 200 defibrillators across Yorkshire with new community-focused partners, ‘Own the Pitch’.
The partnership, the first of its kind in the UK, enables supporters the chance to buy digital plots of the Hillsborough pitch for the 2023/24 season, with cash prizes won when action unfolds on a user’s plot.
More significantly though, a charitable donation of £150 is made each time the plot is at the centre of key moments.
With an average of 70 events triggering donations during every game, the Owls and Own the Pitch are aiming to raise over £10,000 per fixture and up to £200,000 over the course of the season.
The funds will support Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust in a bid to tackle the issue of Sudden Cardiac Arrest across the county.
The UK witnesses around 30,000 Sudden Cardiac Arrests (SCA) every year, with 3,000 in Yorkshire alone. Shockingly, only one in 10 survive, leading to over 600 deaths annually, including 270 in schools.
Nick Townend, Own the Pitch CEO, said: “The overall mission for Own the Pitch is to partner with at least one football club in each of the 12 ambulance service regions within England, Scotland and Wales to help make a huge difference on a national level.
“We’re delighted that a club with the history and prestige of Sheffield Wednesday will become the first club to help us on our mission.”
Liam Dooley, COO at Sheffield Wednesday, added: “Football hosts thousands and thousands of supporters each week and we know first-hand how essential it is that defibrillators are installed within stadia.
“Therefore, pioneering this project to install up to 200 defibrillators across the county fills us with pride but more importantly will help save lives.”
Owls fans who buy a digital plot for a one-off purchase – priced from only £19 – will receive a certificate of ownership and be presented with 70 chances on average to win cash prizes and charity donations during every home league game.
