Last summer, 83% of drownings were men, 17% involved alcohol, and 16% occurred during holiday weekends. A major spike also occurred in older adults, with drowning deaths among people over 65 representing a 43 per cent increase on the 20-year average. The #AreYouSummerReady campaign targeted organisations who would become water-safety champions for these at-risk groups.

Primary’s creative, government and communication teams worked together to develop accessible checklists and messages that would help community leaders promote simple tips to be better prepared – from learning CPR, preparing the home and pool, checking on health limitations and learning to swim. We approached 109 local councils in NSW and Tasmania, and 363 organisations – including youth, health, community and sporting clubs in key drowning hotspots, aiming to create local water-safety champions.

Hundreds of organisations representing these key audiences and regions have joined the campaign as summer approached, including Multicultural NSW, SBS Mandarin, Water NSW, Kidsafe NSW, ACT Children and Young People Death Review Committee, Western Sydney Youth Solutions, and NRL team the Sydney Roosters.

The pre-summer campaign culminated in the Sydney Roosters offering a group of players and officials the chance to earn a Royal Life Saving CPR accreditation the week before the summer holidays commenced. It was a great way for the iconic team to take a lead on an important community initiative, and kick-off the summer holidays. The Summer-Ready Campaign paves the way for collaborations across all regions and audiences to take a lead on supporting drowning prevention. We look forward to seeing these collaborations continue to grow. And remember, to stay water safe this summer.