Freedom Leisure, in partnership with Blackbridge Charitable Community Benefit Society (CCBS), Gloucestershire FA and Gloucester City AFC, successfully launched Heart of the Game at Gloucester City’s home win against Weymouth FC on Saturday 7 February, marking an exciting start for the community-focused heart health initiative.

The campaign, which uses the power of football to bring preventative healthcare into everyday community settings, made its debut during Gloucester City’s home fixture, where supporters were invited to take part in free blood pressure checks in a relaxed, non-clinical environment.

Throughout the afternoon there was a constant queue of fans keen to ‘know their numbers’, highlighting both the appetite for accessible health checks and the value of delivering them in familiar, trusted spaces. Each participant received a Heart of the Game pin badge to recognise their involvement and spark further conversations about heart health beyond matchday.

The launch also showcased strong support from the local football community. Representatives from four grassroots clubs already signed up to the programme; Abbeymead Rovers, Tuffley Rovers, Rising Stars and Gloucester City were in attendance, underlining the project’s ambition to work through football networks across the county.

Mo Patel, Rising Stars Club Director, said: “Heart of the Game is an invaluable project, raising awareness around high blood pressure. Rising Stars are a community club and one of the most diverse in the county, we are all too aware of the over representation of high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases in BAME communities. We were extremely delighted and passionate to be part of this project, using the power of football, as a medium, to unite communities and raise awareness.” Mo Patel, Rising Stars Club Director.

Neil Spiller, Tuffley Rovers Club Secretary, said: “We are really pleased to be involved in the Heart of the Game and intend to promote the importance of blood pressure checks to the football community. If this fantastic initiative helps save one life or identify one health issue that might otherwise have gone undetected it will serve its purpose, although we sincerely hope that it will be far more wide reaching. Tuffley Rovers look forward to helping our supporters get involved at the heart of this project and are delighted to play our part.”

Adding to the matchday buzz, Gloucester City AFC mascot Roary helped spread the message by throwing Heart of the Game branded footballs and T-shirts into the crowd, while both teams wore campaign T-shirts during their warm-up, helping to raise awareness among supporters before kick-off.

Heart of the Game aims to deliver more than 1,000 free blood pressure checks across Gloucester and the Cotswolds over the next nine months at football matches, leisure centres, community venues and local events. Participants can also access follow-on support including physical activity opportunities, lifestyle guidance and Exercise on Referral services through Freedom Leisure.

With a strong and visible start at Gloucester City AFC, Heart of the Game will now continue its journey across the region, bringing free, accessible blood pressure checks to the heart of local communities.

Look out for Heart of the Game at a football club or tournament near you during 2026 and more information about the project can be found here https://www.freedom-leisure.co.uk/news/heart-of-the-game/