IT's hoped more than 100 people in Baildon now know how to save a life after a community rallied together to deliver free CPR and defibrillator sessions.

Hospital worker Sharon Holmes, who lives in the town and delivers training as part of her job, decided to put on some sessions around four years ago when Baildon first had its defibrillator fitted.

At the time, there wasn't much take up, but last year she decided to give it a go once again.

She posted on the Baildon Community Group on Facebook asking if anyone would be interested and within a couple of hours she had hundreds of people supporting the idea.

It was around the time when former England manager Glenn Hoddle collapsed at the BT Sport studios after a cardiac arrest.

A member of BT Sports production crew, special constable Simon Daniels, used his first aid training to help Hoddle in the moments after he collapsed and was praised for his swift action.

Sharon's idea snowballed, with spaces for the sessions offered for free and professionals including paramedics, community first responders and intensive care nurses giving up their free time and doing it off their own backs.

Three sessions have since run, reaching more than 100 people in Baildon.

Sharon, 61, wanted to break down the fear some people might have about using equipment like a defibrillator.

She said: "I think people are a bit scared of them. People are a little bit apprehensive about using them.

"People don't realise that it does not work unless it needs to work - people think they are going to do harm to somebody."

If a defibrillator is used and effective CPR is performed within three to five minutes of cardiac arrest, a person's chance of survival increases from six per cent to 74 per cent, according to statistics.

Sharon said she's "passionate" about equipping people with the potentially life-saving training and over the years has received messages from people saying they were in a situation where they had to put it to use.

She said there's a possibility of putting more sessions on in the future and hopes it could encourage other communities nationwide to do the same.