Our relationship with Brentford Football Club is rooted in shared loss, shared values, and a shared determination to help prevent other families from experiencing the heartbreak we know too well.
Robert Rowan was not only the inspiration behind A K A Day — he was also Brentford FC’s Technical Director, a deeply respected colleague, and a cherished member of the wider Brentford family. His sudden death in November 2018, at just 28 years old, from an undiagnosed heart condition sent shockwaves through everyone who knew him and highlighted a devastating reality: that young, seemingly healthy people can and do die suddenly from hidden cardiac conditions.
That resolve found powerful expression through The Heart of West London initiative — a partnership led by Brentford FC that brings together organisations working at the forefront of cardiac health, including Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) and A K A Day. Using the reach and influence of football, the initiative exists to raise awareness of cardiac health, fund life‑saving research and screenings, and equip communities with the knowledge and skills to save lives.
West London is recognised as a cardiac “hotspot”, with higher‑than‑average rates of cardiac arrest and lower access to bystander CPR and defibrillators. Through Heart of West London, Brentford FC has used its platform — from matchdays at the Gtech Community Stadium to community outreach — to shine a light on these risks and to actively do something about them.
For A K A Day, being part of the Heart of West London partnership means that the kilometres covered by our community each May translate directly into real‑world impact.
Together with Brentford FC, CRY, and the Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, funds raised in Robert’s memory have helped deliver free heart screenings for young people, many of them hosted at Brentford facilities and within communities close to Robert and Suzanne. These screenings have already identified dozens of young people with previously undetected abnormalities, allowing them to seek further investigation and treatment — outcomes that may well have saved lives.
Milestones such as the 2,000th heart screened in Robert’s memory, achieved through this partnership, stand as a powerful reminder of what can be accomplished when sport, community, and purpose come together.
What makes our relationship with Brentford FC so special is that it goes far beyond logos or campaigns.
It is felt in the way the Club continues to speak Robert’s name with pride.
In the way players, staff, and supporters have embraced Heart of West London as a cause close to their hearts.
And in the way football — something Robert loved so deeply — has become a force for awareness, education, and prevention.
Brentford FC’s ongoing commitment to Heart of West London reflects a belief we share wholeheartedly: that community matters, that prevention saves lives, and that everyone should have the choice to be screened.
We are profoundly grateful to Brentford FC, the Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, and all the partners and supporters who make the Heart of West London possible.
Together, we continue to honour Robert’s legacy not only by remembering him, but by campaigning to protect the hearts of others — in West London and beyond.
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