MORE than 50 Irymple South Primary School students were given the skills to save a life this week.

Irymple South Primary School was the first school to participate in cardiac arrest survivor Graeme Tulloch and Mildura Lions Club's Hands on Heart program.

Mr Tulloch, an ex-AFL player, local coach and school teacher, suffered a cardiac arrest in 2015 when he was 61.

He was saved by four complete strangers who, as a team, administered CPR until the ambulance arrived.

Recognising how lucky he was to have people around him who were able to act immediately, Mr Tulloch decided he wanted to help save others and, in May, launched Hands on Heart.

The program provides CPR training to anyone who wants it, free of charge, and in its first month taught about 50 people basic CPR.

Now the program has branched out into schools, teaching 55 Irymple South students how to administer CPR on Thursday.

"(The students) are at an age where they understand the importance of CPR and they can obviously take notice of what is being taught," Mr Tulloch said.

"You never know when they may need to carry out basic CPR on maybe a grandparent or uncle and aunty, parent or stranger.

"Students of this age have the ability to do that."

Mr Tulloch said it was amazing that Irymple South was so willing to get involved and other schools had also expressed their interest in the program.

He encouraged members of the community to also sign up and be "locals helping locals".

"I think it is important that the whole community, Mildura and surrounding areas, is aware of Hands on Heart Australia and the benefits of educating people and giving them the opportunity to learn the basics of CPR," he said.

"You just don’t know when it’s going to be needed.

"In my case, four people stopped and did CPR for me many years ago and saved my life so obviously I am very aware of the importance of knowing how to do CPR."

Information on how to donate or participate can be found on the Mildura Lions Club website.