IT is Local Newspaper Week – an annual event highlighting the important campaigning role played by local papers in communities across the UK.

The Bolton News has a proud history of campaigning on behalf of our readers – going back to our first edition in March, 1867.

Each day this week we will highlight some of our most important campaigns to date — and today's was all about saving lives.

THERE are few skills more important than the power to save another’s life.

When someone suffers a heart attack, every second helps.

Without help, the person will die within minutes. But effective and immediate first aid treatment can help, in some cases, double the chances of survival.

In 2013, The Bolton News joined forces with former Bolton West MP Julie Hilling to launch our Every School Leaver a Lifesaver campaign.

It calls for the teaching of emergency lifesaving skills to be compulsory in every school in the borough, and for defibrillators to be placed in as many public places as possible.

Ms Hilling was inspired to start the campaign after former Bolton player Fabrice Muamba collapsed on the pitch during an FA Cup match at Spurs and was resuscitated by medical staff after his heart stopped beating.

This March, the campaign was taken all the way to Westminster.

Ms Hilling, who had been MP for Bolton West since 2010 before losing her seat last week, championed a parliamentary debate on the subject of teaching life-saving skills in schools.

A British Heart Foundation (BHF) petition supported by Ms Hilling, which said ensuring every young person is taught CPR and public access defibrillator awareness could radically improve cardiac arrest survival rates, was the focus of a 90-minute debate.

During the debate, MPs also challenged the Department for Education to commit to the cause.

The BHF’s petition, signed by more than 80,000 people, was later formally presented to the speaker of the House of Commons.

In February, the Bolton News became one of 15 businesses across the borough to receive a life-saving defibrillator after it was donated one by the North West Ambulance Service.

Bolton’s first public access defibrillator was installed in Little Lever in March 2014.

Our campaign, Let's Get Back on Track, which called for a dramatic improvement to Bolton's 'cattle market' rail services, has been shortlisted for an award in the Local Newspaper Week Make a Difference campaign. An online vote is being held to give the public the chance to vote for their favourite campaign.

To vote, go to localnewspaperweek.co.uk