A BOLTON nurse and campaigner has been shortlisted for an award after helping to give out more than 120 defibrillators.

Tracey Garde, a cardiac nurse and matron at the Royal Bolton Hospital, is up for the accolade of Community Hero at this year's St John Ambulance Everyday Heroes Awards.

Ms Garde is chairman of the Bolton Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) Support Group, which has distributed more than 120 of the life-saving pieces of equipment defibrillators given out across Bolton and Bury.

The campaign was kick-started in 2012 after former Bolton Wanderers player Fabrice Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest during a match.

"We started raising funds to put defibrillators in schools and teach young people the skills they need if anything like that were to happen," she added.

"If someone has a cardiac arrest and there is a defibrillator at hand, their chances of survival are a lot higher."

The awards ceremony will be held on September 7 in London.