School captain Archie Patten raises $13,500 for swimming lessons, launches water safety campaign

11-year-old's platform of funding swimming lessons for every student wins support and funding

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published27 October 2026

Updated27 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Sources3 outlets

Illustration: School captain Archie Patten raises $13,500 for swimming lessons, launches water safety campaign

Eleven-year-old Archie Patten was elected school captain on a promise to remove cost as a barrier to swimming lessons after he learned nearly half of his peers could not meet national water safety benchmarks. Through a school Colour Run he raised $13,500, funding professional swimming instruction for every student at St Joseph's Primary School in Maclean into 2028, and has now challenged young leaders nationwide to spread the 'Ripple Effect' to their own communities.

Eleven-year-old Archie Patten of NSW's Northern Rivers was elected school captain at St Joseph's Primary School in Maclean after promising to fund swimming lessons for all students. His concern arose from learning that at least 48 per cent of students in his cohort would not meet the national benchmark of swimming a length of the pool, according to Royal Life Saving Australia chief executive Dr Justin Scarr. "Given our country is 'girt by sea', it is pretty important that all us kids know how to swim," Archie told the school.

Archie raised $13,500 through a Colour Run. Principal Dale Layland said the funds covered the cost of professional swim teachers and allowed for smaller classes, ensuring every student had access to lessons until 2028. Archie said he loved swimming but was scared that so many students could not swim 50 metres.

Dr Scarr said the situation in the Northern Rivers raised questions about other areas. "We know the answer: it is some kids swim better than ever before, but so many kids can't swim at all," he said. Research shows drowning rates rise as distance to pools increases and access to lessons falls.

Olympian Ruth Everuss, who coaches Archie in squad training, said children's swimming ability had declined and school swimming lessons had become less common. "There used to be free learn-to-swim lessons in all the schools," she said. "Nowadays parents have to pay, and there is a big gap." The cost of goggles can reach $60.

Archie now challenges other school captains and young leaders to ask if every child at their school has access to swimming and water safety education. Called Archie's Ripple Effect, he does not want funds for his own school but for their communities. He has started a new fundraising raffle with prizes donated from across NSW, including from Bondi Icebergs.

Dr Scarr said Archie was sending a signal that more must be done to protect school swimming and water safety programs.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

Swimming is a vital safety skill for Australian children, yet participation in school swimming carnivals has declined and many students cannot meet basic benchmarks.
The cost of lessons and equipment is a growing barrier, especially in regional and low-income areas where drowning rates are higher.
Archie's initiative demonstrates how student leadership can drive community change and remove financial obstacles to water safety.

Background

Archie Patten ran for school captain at St Joseph's Primary School in Maclean, NSW, on a platform of using fundraising to pay for professional swimming lessons. He won, raised $13,500 through a Colour Run, and has secured lessons for all students at the school into 2028. The initiative comes amid concerns that school swimming lessons are being cut, that participation in swimming carnivals is falling, and that a significant proportion of children cannot perform basic survival strokes. National benchmarks set by Royal Life Saving Australia specify that by age 12 a child should be able to swim 50 metres continuously and tread water for two minutes.

What to Watch

Whether other schools and young leaders take up Archie's Ripple Effect and run similar community fundraisers for swimming lessons in their own areas.
Potential government or education department responses to the data on declining swimming ability and lesson access, particularly in regional and outer-urban areas.
Archie's ongoing raffle and future fundraising efforts to sustain the momentum of his campaign.

Sources

Archie and the captain’s call to save his classmates from drowning · The Sydney Morning Herald
Archie and the captain’s call to save his classmates from drowning · The Age
Archie and the captain’s call to save his classmates from drowning · Brisbane Times

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 8 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedThe headline says Archie has launched a water-safety campaign.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Now finishing year 6, Archie is challenging other school captains and young leaders to ask if every child at their school has access to the swimming and water safety education they need to stay safe. Called Archie’s Ripple Effect, he doesn’t want them to raise funds for his school, but for their own community.”
Not in the sourcesArchie’s platform was “no child left unable to swim”.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “His platform? Raise funds to cover the cost of swimming lessons for every student at his school, improve their freestyle and breaststroke, and remove cost as a barrier to vital water safety skills.”
SupportedArchie’s platform won support and funding.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Archie won the vote, became school captain, and defied expectations. He raised $13,500 in a Colour Run that has funded the cost of swimming lessons for all students at St Joseph’s Primary School in Maclean into 2028.”
Not in the sourcesArchie learned the swimming-benchmark finding before his election, and that prompted his promise.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “His platform? Raise funds to cover the cost of swimming lessons for every student at his school, improve their freestyle and breaststroke, and remove cost as a barrier to vital water safety skills.”
Partly supportedNearly half of Archie’s peers could not meet national water-safety benchmarks.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “At least 48 per cent of Archie’s cohort graduating from primary schools this year won’t meet the national benchmarks of swimming a length of the pool, said Royal Lifesaving Australia chief executive Dr Justin Scarr.”
SupportedArchie’s $13,500 Colour Run funded professional swimming lessons for every student at St Joseph’s Primary School in Maclean into 2028.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “He raised $13,500 in a Colour Run that has funded the cost of swimming lessons for all students at St Joseph’s Primary School in Maclean into 2028. Principal Dale Layland said it covered the cost of professional swim teachers and allowed for smaller classes.”
SupportedArchie said, “Given our country is ‘girt by sea’, it is pretty important that all us kids know how to swim,” to the school.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““Given our country is ‘girt by sea’, it is pretty important that all us kids know how to swim,” he said.”
SupportedArchie said he was scared that so many students could not swim 50 metres.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “In his campaign speech, Archie said he loved swimming, but was scared that so many students couldn’t swim 50 metres.”
SupportedDr Scarr said, “We know the answer: it is some kids swim better than ever before, but so many kids can’t swim at all.”Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““We know the answer: It is some kids swim better than ever before, but so many kids can’t swim at all,” he said.”
SupportedResearch shows drowning rates rise as distance to pools increases and access to lessons falls.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Research shows that drowning rates rose as distance to pools increased, and access to lessons fell.”
SupportedGoggles can cost as much as $60.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “At the same time, the cost of lessons and equipment has increased – even goggles can cost $30 to $60.”
SupportedArchie’s Ripple Effect challenges young leaders to focus on swimming and water-safety access in their own communities.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Now finishing year 6, Archie is challenging other school captains and young leaders to ask if every child at their school has access to the swimming and water safety education they need to stay safe. Called Archie’s Ripple Effect, he doesn’t want them to raise funds for his school, but for their own community.”

Correction

27 October 2026An earlier version of this story presented 'no child left unable to swim' as Archie's quoted platform. His platform was to raise funds to cover swimming lessons for every student at his school.