A CAMPAIGNER who wants every school in Bolton to receive a defibrillator will speak in parliament tomorrow urging MPs to support her cause.

Tracey Wilkinson, the fundraising manager for the Bolton ICD Support Group, has been invited to Westminster to speak alongside Bolton West MP Julie Hilling, Leigh MP and shadow secretary for health Andy Burnham and the chief executive of the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) Bob Williams.

Ms Wilkinson, who works as an investigative assistant for Greater Manchester Police, set up the charity’s #defibs4bolton campaign, in 2012 and since then has raised around £55,000 — enabling them to buy 62 defibrillators to donate to schools and sports across Bolton.

In February 2013, The Bolton News teamed up with Ms Hilling to launch the Every School Leaver A Lifesaver campaign, which along with promoting defibrillators calls for life-saving skills to be taught in every school.

Ms Wilkinson, from Stoneclough, said: “I feel honoured to have been given this opportunity and I think it will give me a great chance to speak in Parliament and address the importance automated external defibrillators and CPR on behalf of charity and support North West Ambulance Service in their #CardiacSmart campaign.

“One of our aims is to ensure that every school in Bolton is equipped with this life-saving equipment and my personal aim is to have raised enough funds for the charity to be able to purchase their 100th defibrillator by the end of 2015.

“It’s a cause that we are all very passionate about and we believe that providing lifesaving equipment and training adults and children in CPR is vital to help make the community of Bolton a safer place to live. I hope that one day, if needed, one of these defibrillators will save somebody’s life.”

Ms Wilkinson has worked for GMP for the past 16 years.

The Bolton ICD Support group was established in 2006 to support patients and their families after they have had an Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator (ICD) fitted.

Last year Ms Wilkinson received both the UK Heart Safe Fundraiser of the Year 2014 from Hand on Heart Heart Safe Awards and the North West Ambulance Service Cardiac Smart Gold Award.