New Lotteries to Help Youth

For many disadvantaged young Australians life can be a lottery, but one determined NSW man has set up a charity to use lotteries to help fund special youth and conservation programs across Australia.

SCCE Founder Chris Ross (far right) with SCCE volunteers and the staff at Tulgeen Disability Services Stitches and Print.

Southern Cross Community Enterprises is the brainchild of Chris Ross who saw the need to develop youth programs while working in the Bega Valley Shire, in NSW.

He has set up the charity in November 2009, using his own personal resources, with the aim of creating a funding process that is self sustaining; hence the use of lotteries. The website went live in July.

Ross says there is huge interest in lotteries and he wants a funding source that offers more tangible benefits for the winners who also want to support a charity of their choice as well as the charities receiving the funds.

He says his funding priorities are around young people, conservation and rural areas. This will expand to cultural and humanitarian programs in the future.

As well as wanting to return funds to charities registered with Southern Cross, Chris Ross hopes to eventually be able to fund a youth volunteer program for students at the end of year 12 including joining overseas aid programs.

Check out the website at https://southerncross.org.au/