Reading and Wycombe Join Forces for 24-Hour CPR Marathon

A fierce League One rivalry will pause next month for a very different kind of challenge – one that could save lives.

Reading and Wycombe Wanderers are joining forces to support South Central Ambulance Service’s CPR-A-THON, a gruelling 24-hour cardiopulmonary resuscitation challenge that will take place at both clubs’ grounds in the days leading up to their clash at Adams Park.

Instead of players pressing high up the pitch, it will be fans, staff and local businesses pressing down on CPR manikins.

24 Hours, 10 People, No Let-Up

The concept is brutally simple.

Teams of up to 10 people will take turns performing 30 chest compressions on a CPR manikin before handing over to the next teammate. Then again. And again. Around the clock.

The relay will run from 10:00 on 24 September until 10:00 on 25 September – a full 24 hours of continuous compressions – before attention turns back to football, with the Royals and the Chairboys meeting at Adams Park at 15:00 on 26 September.

Each participant is asked to raise a minimum of £150, giving a target of £1,500 for a full team of 10. The money goes to the South Central Ambulance Service charity, but the organisers are just as focused on what people take away as what they give.

“Every Compression Counts”

Sarah Callaghan, the charity’s volunteer manager, wants the event to be about far more than endurance.

She said the challenge is designed to “bring communities together” and give people the belief that they can step in when it matters most.

“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.”

It’s a message that has landed on both sides of the Berkshire–Buckinghamshire divide.

One Cause, Two Crests

Reading managing director Neil Peters underlined how the rivalry stops the moment life is on the line.

“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,” he said.

Wycombe’s head of media Matt Cecil issued a clear call to action for local firms and supporters.

“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 skills that could save a life.”

The stakes in League One will be high when Reading and Wycombe finally kick off on 26 September. For 24 hours before that, the stakes will be higher still – measured not in points, but in lives that might one day be saved by someone who learned what to do.