There are not many people who start their own charity at the age of six.

But Xavier Vaughan is not your average child, as Irrawang High School in Raymond Terrace, on Worimi country, is well aware.

After all, the school’s breakfast club has a mountain of Milo as proof.

“They actually had to tell him to stop, they had too much,” his mother Rachel Vaughan said.

In total, he provided 29 value packs of the pantry staple to his school last year, amounting to 38.28 kilograms.

If starting high school was not enough, 2025 was a huge year of fundraising for the Gubbi Gubbi boy, who was in Year 1 at Medowie’s Wirreanda Public School when he started Xavier’s Dream Treasures.

As well as the Milo, he collected two carloads of school supplies for The Backpack Venture, which distributes them to students in rural NSW and supported the Yarralin School in the Northern Territory via the Remote Opshop Project.

He also raised $4000 for RUN DIPG, a Newcastle-based charity which is dedicated to improving outcomes for those affected by diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), in honour of his friend Evie Whipps, who passed away from the aggressive brain cancer at the age of 11 in 2024.

A regular visitor to his nearest Return and Earn, the son and grandson of public school teachers collects bottles and cans to fund his efforts, and designs and sells badges, keychains, and bracelets with messages of kindness.

In a full-circle moment, the first charity Xavier chose to help back in 2019 was Australia For Cambodia, a not-for-profit started by former Irrawang High School teachers, Jan and Owen Holbert.

“I wanted to raise some money to send to the school so the kids can have all the good things we have at my school,” the then six-year-old told the local newspaper.

“Sports equipment, books for learning, and clean water so they can be healthy.”

While he cannot recall exactly why he chose the organisation all those years ago, he has supported its work ever since, funding lessons, nutritious meals, bicycles as well as that all-important water filter in the isolated village of Romdoul.

Fortunately, his passion for helping others does not seem to affect his schoolwork although it does .

Xavier is in his year group’s High Potential and Gifted Education class at Irrawang High and participates in Creative and Performing Arts program, including the school’s renowned Drum Corps.

“The school has been amazing, they are so supportive,” Mrs Vaughan said.

School friends as well as the Medowie and Raymond Terrace communities have also made a big difference to Xavier’s efforts, with donations of money, recyclables and school supplies being boosted by local businesses.

Happy to fly under the radar, the 13-year-old said he was shocked to be named 2026 Port Stephens Young Citizen of the Year for his compassion, creativity and fundraising efforts.

“Everyone can make a difference in the world in some way, but sometimes you just need someone to jump start it,” he said.

“It feels good to help others, look around your community and be a helper.

Now in Year 8, he has spent much of the summer holidays once again gathering items for The Backpack Venture.