For the past 11 years, the Shepparton Natrad car radiator repair owner has been travelling across northern Victoria and the NSW Riverina collecting used batteries from farms and businesses and selling them to Future Recycling Metals to raise money for Goulburn Valley Health's children's ward.
His efforts have seen an astounding total of $560,000 raised to help ease the stay of children in hospital.
But in the past 12 months, a double hurdle of pandemic restrictions and failing health has forced the 51-year-old Rushworth man to slow down - and he doesn't like it.
“It's been a massive rollercoaster,” was how Mr Archer described the past year.
“Mental health has been the biggest thing, and then my body's deteriorating at a rapid rate. I had rheumatic fever as a kid and it affects my joints,” he said.
“The battery thing has been good for me over the years because they've helped keep my muscles working, but now my joints are just packing up,” he said.
His travels from Deniliquin to Seymour and Rochester to Benalla have cost him about $10,000 a year in fuel - but now he's more worried about the loss in fundraising brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic's lockdowns.
His Campbell St business was still open, but Mr Archer couldn't travel anywhere to pick batteries up.
“There was a short period a few months ago when I managed to do a quick trip and I got 30 pallets of batteries, but it's down a heck of a lot,” he said.
He managed to donate $17,000 to the hospital in June last year - but that was a significant drop from the $100,000 he raised in 2019.
He said he's now got two B-doubles with about 70 tonnes of batteries waiting to be sold, which might raise up to $60,000.
But he now needs help.
“I've been doing it on my own. But now I need a crew to do the logistics - the bookwork, the paperwork, to keep it all in line, and to contact the media. I have little bits of paper everywhere, but then I forget, " he said.
GV Health Foundation director Carmel Johnson said Mr Archer's contribution to the children's ward had been outstanding.
“Words can't describe the gratitude we owe to Paul for enhancing our paediatric ward. He's enabled us to offer first class treatment and made the lives of our young patients so much easier,” Ms Johnson said.
She said Mr Archer's fundraising efforts had helped buy toys and iPads for children, as well as specialised medical equipment.
Anyone who wishes to help Mr Archer continue his battery collection operations can call him on 0457 000 423, or visit his Natrad business at 20 Campbell St, Shepparton.
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