CENTRAL LONDON ALLIANCE BREAKS WORLD RECORDS™ TITLE FOR MOST PEOPLE PERFORMING CPR IN ONE HOUR
London, 23 September 2026 – Central London Alliance has broken a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ for the most people performing CPR in one hour.
The achievement, held at Tower Suites by Blue Orchid Hospitality property – the lead sponsors of the initiative – saw a marathon CPR session for 36 hours, culminating in a finale, with a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title achieved for the most people performing CPR in one hour – 434 participants simultaneously performing CPR over the course of one hour.
The record attempt formed part of Central London Alliance’s wider Saving Lives campaign, which has been created to raise awareness of the importance of CPR and equip thousands of people with the confidence and skills to save lives.
Throughout the event, thousands of participants learnt CPR, and practised the skills needed to respond in an emergency, supported by experienced instructors from St John Ambulance, First Aid for Life and the City of London Police.
Every person taking part in the campaign was required to receive CPR training and certification, ensuring that the world record attempt was not simply about numbers, but about giving people a real life saving practical skill that could make the difference between life and death.
Bringing London’s communities together to save lives
Central London Alliance is a politically independent Community Interest Company (CIC) supporting and revitalising central London, bringing together more than 20,000 businesses and organisations across the business, hospitality, culture, tourism and retail landscapes.
Central London Alliance has an unrivalled track record of creating significant initiatives to bring people together to animate and activate central London. This includes two previous GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title attempt successes with the Blue Orchid Hospitality sponsored longest marathons playing padel and pickleball in 2023 and 2024 respectively, and Central London Alliance’s London Sports Festival, which has grown from 9,000 participants across one sport in 2023 to more than 32,000 participants across numerous sports in 2026.
The Saving Lives campaign builds on Central London Alliance’s successes, creating a major public event to bring businesses, communities, organisations and individuals together to engage in a cause with positive life-changing consequences.
Tony Matharu, founder and Chairman of Central London Alliance, said:
“Breaking the world record is an incredible achievement, but the number that matters most is the volume of people who have walked away from this experience knowing how to perform CPR, including those who have been certified as completing the online training and those who participated in delivering CPR during CLA’s Saving Lives relay over 36 hours, together with the 434 CPR qualified participants who successfully broke the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD™.
“We wanted to create something that brought people together, and also gave every participant something of genuine value – the ability to save lives.
“I have personally witnessed and assisted in a lifesaving experience during a recent hockey match. A cardiac arrest is not something that happens to somebody else. It can happen to a teammate, a colleague, a friend, a family member or a complete stranger. Unfortunately with one in four UK deaths are heart related. Practical responses are needed far too often.
“Over the past two days, thousands of people have come together and performed CPR. Whilst we have broken a world record, the more important outcome is to have enabled thousands more people to know what to do when faced with a lifesaving opportunity.”
Central London Alliance continues to encourage participants to share their knowledge and newly learned skills, extending the impact of the campaign beyond the record attempt itself.
Alongside CPR training and the relay, participants were able to take part in a range of health and wellbeing activities, including blood pressure checks by Doorstop Pharmacy, tourniquet training by the City of London Police and other practical sessions, enabling further opportunities to learn skills that could be valuable in an emergency.
The campaign brought together members of London’s business, hospitality, sporting, residential and visitor communities.
For Central London Alliance the ambition is to continue spreading CPR awareness across London’s business and residential communities.
Director of Central London Alliance, Nadia Perrier commented:
“We are equipping thousands of people with the knowledge, skills and confidence to save a life. The record is one moment. What we have created will last a lifetime.
“We wanted to create a ripple effect – to start with thousands of people at the City’s Blue Orchid hotel and to see lifesaving skills carried into homes, workplaces, sports grounds and communities across London and beyond. Somewhere among those thousands of people who have been trained in CPR could be the person who one day saves a child, a parent, a partner, a friend, a teammate, a colleague or a complete stranger.
“If even one person uses what they have learned to save a life, then this campaign will have achieved something far more important than a world record. It will have changed a family’s story forever – that is the real legacy.
“We are incredibly grateful to every partner, trainer, volunteer and participant who came together to help us achieve this GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title. Breaking a world record is an extraordinary achievement, and we are immensely proud of what we have accomplished together.”
For further information, interviews or media enquiries:
Nadia Perrier
nadia@centrallondonalliance.com
About Central London Alliance
Central London Alliance, a Community Interest Company, was formed to support a sustainable, economic recovery of London’s business, hospitality, cultural, tourism, and retail sectors and to help both employers and workers to survive through coronavirus and beyond. Politically independent and supported by organisations of varying sizes and sectors, the Central London Alliance CIC works towards a strong economic recovery of central London, ensuring its continued viability as a leading global city.