Lottery business hungry for more

A CUMBRIAN company which last year helped charities raise £40m by running lotteries for them, is targeting further growth.

Barrow-in-Furness-based Sterling Lotteries, has worked with more than 250 charites and business, has seen turnover grow 10% in each of the last two years.

Sterling, which has 42 employees, works with around 80 hospices in the UK, as well as national charities like Marie Curie Cancer Care and Parkinson’s UK.

It also helps businesses such as Royal Bank of Scotland, EDF Energy and Thames Water to raise money for charity through workplace lottery schemes.

In a move to bolster its growth propects Sterling has appointed North West accountants and business advisers Moore and Smalley to advise it on corporate tax planning and strategic business planning.

Managing director Richard Dixon, whose father Eddie set up the business 30 years ago, said: “Lottery schemes are increasingly being seen as an effective way for charities to generate a sustainable and predictable income stream because lottery members tend to stay in the scheme for a long period of time.

“We have recently seen an increase in enquiries from community projects and charitable trusts that have seen cuts to funding they receive from government.”

Richard Hall, corporate services director at Moore and Smalley, said: “Sterling Lotteries continues to be successful because it has innovated with new products that help its customers raise vital funds. The company continues to grow and we will be working with Sterling to ensure its continued long-term success.”