Reading FC and Wycombe Wanderers FC join forces with the South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) Charity to challenge businesses to put their teams together for a lifesaving 24-hour challenge.
Football rivalries will be put aside this September as Reading Football Club and Wycombe Wanderers Football Club join forces to support a unique 24-hour challenge – and are calling on businesses across the region to get their teams together and take part.
The SCAS Charity CPR-A-THON begins at 10am on Thursday, 24 September, with teams keeping good quality CPR going continuously for 24 hours until 10am on Friday, 25 September.
The event will take place simultaneously across three venues: Adams Park, home of Wycombe Wanderers; the Select Car Leasing Stadium, home of Reading FC; and The King’s Centre in Oxford.
The challenge is simple: teams of up to 10 people take turns performing 30 chest compressions on a CPR manikin before handing over to the next team member – keeping the lifesaving action going throughout the 24 hours.
Now the two football clubs are encouraging their supporters to take the challenge into the workplace.
Could your business put a team together?
Whether you work in an office, a factory, a shop, hospitality venue or from home, businesses are being urged to bring colleagues together, nominate their preferred venue and take part in a team challenge with a serious purpose.
Each team member is asked to raise a minimum of £150, with a fundraising target of £1,500 for a team of 10. Teams can nominate whether they would prefer to take part at Adams Park, the Select Car Leasing Stadium or The King’s Centre when they register.
Sarah Callaghan, volunteer manager at the SCAS Charity, said:
“We want the CPR-A-THON to be something that brings communities together, and having the support of Reading and Wycombe Wanderers give us a fantastic opportunity to reach thousands of football fans and businesses across the region.
“This isn’t just a fundraising challenge. It’s about giving people the confidence to act when someone suffers a cardiac arrest. Every compression counts, and by taking part people will learn and practice a skill that could one day save the life of a colleague, friend or loved one.
“We’re asking businesses to get their teams together, choose their venue and take on the challenge. Whether you’re a Reading fan, a Wycombe fan or simply want to do something worthwhile with your colleagues, we’d love you to join us.”
For Reading Football Club, the event provides the opportunity to use the power of football to support an important cause within the club’s local community.
Neil Peters, managing director at Reading FC, said:
“Football clubs are at the heart of their communities, and we’re delighted to be supporting the SCAS Charity with this fantastic initiative.
“The CPR-A-THON is a great example of how we can use our stadium and our supporter base to make a difference beyond the football pitch. We hope Reading fans and businesses across Berkshire will get behind it, put their teams together and help us keep the CPR going for 24 hours.
“There may be plenty of rivalry on the pitch, but when it comes to saving lives, Reading and Wycombe are firmly on the same team.”
Matt Cecil, head of media at Wycombe Wanderers FC, said:
“Adams Park is a place where teams come together, and we’re proud that it will be one of the venues helping to keep this lifesaving challenge going for 24 hours.
“We’re calling on businesses and Chairboys supporters to get involved, put a team together and come to Adams Park to take on a challenge that will not only raise money for an important local charity, but will also give people a skills that could save a life.
A person’s chance of surviving a cardiac arrest decreases by around 10% for every minute without CPR. The survival rate of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK is only around 8%. If a patient in cardiac arrest receives early defibrillation combined with CPR, their chances of survival can double.
The SCAS Charity supports volunteer community first responders who, as well as responding to medical emergencies in their local communities, also help teach CPR and defibrillator awareness to schools, community groups and businesses.
Money raised from the 24-hour CPR-A-THON challenge will go towards continue to fund their lifesaving work.
Ends
Notes to editors
The SCAS Charity CPR-A-THON 2026 takes place from 10am on Thursday, 24 September to 10am on Friday, 25 September.
The three venues are:
- Adams Park, High Wycombe – home of Wycombe Wanderers FC
- Select Car Leasing Stadium, Reading – home of Reading FC
- The King’s Centre, Oxford – Osney Mead
Teams can have a maximum of 10 people. Each participant is asked to raise a minimum of £150, with a £1,500 fundraising target for a team of 10.
Participants take part in a continuous relay performing 30 chest compressions at a time on a CPR manikin before rotating with another team member.
The SCAS Charity supports the work of South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire, supporting community first responders, community education and staff wellbeing.
For further information and to register visit: https://scascharity.org.uk/events/cpr-a-thon-2026/
Photographers and reporters at the CPR-A-THON events are welcome by arrangement. Please contact scas.oncallmedia@nhs.net if you would like to attend.