Note from the Centre Manager

As winter comes to a close, we look forward to the warmth of spring and two exciting events – our Charity Fundraising Ball, which raises funds for student bursaries, and our Sporting Horizons Expo, showcasing careers in sport.

In Semester One we welcomed a record 114 students from 28 institutions, studying across 16 different areas. Numbers have again been building steadily, and we look forward to celebrating graduations later this year. It’s been wonderful to see the Hub buzzing with activity, and we’ve set up a new BYOD station to cater for increasing demand.

I’ve also enjoyed connecting with other centres, visiting CUC Cape York, CUC Snowy Monaro, and CUC Cowra, as well as attending the Student Success Conference in Cairns.

Bursaries & Scholarships

Congratulations to Mallawa Scholarship recipients: Elindre Lamprecht, Elysia Mackay and Zahra Knights.

In July we awarded our second round of bursaries for the year, seven students received Resource Bursaries and another seven were awarded Travel Bursaries.

Since launching bursaries in 2023, 62 bursaries worth nearly $120,000 have supported local students across Health, Agriculture, Education, Law, Business, Arts, Psychology, Engineering, Veterinary Science, and Tertiary Pathways. These bursaries have enabled students to buy laptops, PPE, textbooks, and essential study equipment, as well as support 84 weeks of residentials and placements away from community.

New Staff

We warmly welcome Kaiamba Thurston as our new First Nations Officer. Kaiamba is a proud Kamilaroi woman who is strongly connected in our community and has a passion for supporting the youth of the Balonne Shire. We are excited to welcome her to the team.

CUC Balonne Charity Fundraising Ball 2025

“A Night in Full Bloom”

Eliza has done an amazing job leading a dedicated committee in organising this event. This year’s Ball has officially SOLD OUT – thank you for the overwhelming community support! Funds raised go to student bursaries and supporting our widening participation programs.

Thank you to all our sponsors for making this event possible.

Sporting Horizons – Exploring Careers in Sport

Tuesday 24 September 2025
Rowden Park, St George | 9am–2pm

Sporting Horizons is back – bigger and better than ever! Following the success of last year’s event, which drew over 200 people, this year’s Expo is travelling across Goondiwindi, St George, and Roma.

Come along to:

• Try hands-on sporting challenges
• Learn about careers in sports – from exercise physiology and sports nutrition to journalism, coaching, emergency services, engineering and more
• Relax with free entry, family activities, and a sausage sizzle

This event is presented in collaboration with CUC Balonne, CUC Maranoa, and Goondiwindi RUSH, with support from universities, state sporting bodies, and community groups including: NRL, Tennis Queensland, Toowoomba Hockey, Songline Skateboarding, ADF, PCYC, Southwest Indigenous Network, Drug Arm, Southwest Hospital and Health Service, TAFE, and more.

Widening Participation – Camp Cooby

In July, we partnered with University of Queensland to deliver Camp Cooby, a leadership mentoring camp attended by 17 students (Years 7–11) from local schools. Students explored post-school pathways, leadership, and cultural connection, supported by UQ mentors. They will continue to receive mentoring into 2025, helping them build confidence for life beyond school.

Community Involvement

This winter, CUC Balonne participated in:

• The Kite Festival
• NAIDOC Week events at Rowden Park, St George State School, and St George High School
• The CWA Wellbeing Festival
• The St George State School Fete

Our social circus activities have been a hit! Social circus builds confidence, creativity, resilience, team skills and social connections. It has been shown worldwide to support personal and community development, particularly for disadvantaged youth.