Calendar Girl, 74, aims to be a jiu-jitsu teacher to help women

Tricia Stewart (left) and fellow members of Rylstone Women's Institute celebrate the 10th anniversary of the original calendar

An original Calendar Girl is training to become a Brazilian jiu-jitsu teacher at 74 "to help women and girls defend themselves".

Tricia Stewart is one of the original members of the Rylstone Women's Institute in North Yorkshire that inspired the 2003 Calendar Girls film.

Ms Stewart has been working to gain a pink belt ranking at a self defence centre in Harrogate.

"It's so important for women to know that they have this power", she said.

"There's no training for girls to defend themselves and abuse is rife, every day we're hearing about more."

Ms Stewart says jiu-jitsu is a confidence booster in the same way the calendar was for her

Ms Stewart said the martial art, based on ground fighting and submission holds, teaches key skills which can be used during an assault.

"I'd love to go into schools and teach them basic things and teach them week after week," she said.

"It has a great philosophy and a dignity about it, it's very impressive."

Ms Stewart is one of 11 women who posed naked behind baked goods and flower arrangements for the 1999 Women's Institute calendar.

Ms Stewart, second right in back row, has been training with Gracie Barra Harrogate in Hornbeam Park

They were raising funds to buy a settee for their local hospital, in memory of one of their husbands - John Baker - who died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 1998.

It aimed to raise £5,000 for charity, but ended up raking in about £6m.

Ms Stewart said the martial art was a confidence boost for women in the same way the calendar was for her.

"The calendar wasn't about showing everything off, it was about women being confident in their own skin," she said.

Tricia Stewart, 74, says she would like to teach the martial art in schools

"It was powerful women developing from maybe being shy before they did the calendar and then realising what they could do."

Along with the film, which starred Helen Mirren and Julie Walters, the calendar inspired a musical and stage show.

You can see the full interview on Sunday 24 September on Politics North (Yorkshire and Lincolnshire) on BBC One from 10:00 BST or via the BBC iPlayer afterwards.