34 | Mid-Western Living SPRING 2025 Powered by IN THE COMMUNITY CUC Registers 200th Student Around the Mudgee Region, at kitchen benches, home offices, and café tables, students have been diligently working towards university degrees and TAFE certifications online with institutions from around the country. Now, these local students have a free facility made for study in the Country Universities Centre Mudgee Region (CUC), which registered its 200th student in July. A remarkable milestone after just 18 months of opening. A bright new building, purpose-built for students, the CUC provides a peaceful and welcoming space that makes it easy to stay calm and focused. The Centre is free to use and is well equipped with ultra-fast internet, computers, private study rooms, a printer, a coffee machine – everything students need to succeed in their studies. Students can access the building from 3am to midnight every day to get away from the distractions of home and to fit study around their schedule, whether that means hitting the books before work, after putting the kids to bed, or on a Sunday afternoon. CUC opened in March 2024, after a long campaign by Council and the community to give tertiary students a place to work. More than 50 students had registered with the Centre before it even held its official opening, demonstrating the high demand for a local study centre. Students are studying fields that range from rocket science to Auslan, with Education and Health standing out as the two most popular areas of study. Now, as CUC welcomes its 200th student, Sandra Stroud (pictured), locals are no longer facing university alone and can celebrate each other’s successes and sympathise as they tackle exam stress and university’s challenges together. The Centre’s grand goal is to help build skills and expertise in the Mudgee Region, benefiting the local community and economy by allowing people to stay in the region while they study. CUC is located at 70 Court Street in the grounds of Mudgee’s former TAFE site, which is now a hub of learning and arts used by many community groups. To register as a student user, head to cucmudgeeregion.org.au or visit the Centre. The Mudgee Wombats Rugby Union Club hosted its much-loved annual Ladies Day on 26th July, celebrating the incredible women who play, support, inspire, and shape the local rugby community. Held at the Wombats clubhouse, the day was a vibrant tribute to the women behind the scenes and on the field, with a sea of limited-edition hats (proudly supported by Mudgee Bearings Industrial and Safety Equipment Centre – BISEC) adding colour and spirit to the event. Soul Mamas served up a mouthwatering lunch, while Domino’s Pizza kept families wellfed into the evening. Major sponsor ACEN Australia helped bring the event to life, while In Two Minds Wines supplied the prosecco and a lucky door prize – all generously enjoyed by the enthusiastic crowd. The community came together in full force to support the event, with local businesses such as Mac and Co, Edited and Co, Cherry Red, Whatever Mudgee, Be-spoke Boutique, Loft Mudgee, Girl With a Pearl, Florence May Intimates and The Cellar by Gilbert’s contributing to a bumper raffle that raised over $300 for the McGrath Foundation. The Wombats Women’s team took to the field in specially designed jerseys for the occasion, one of which – along with a commemorative hat – was auctioned off in the evening, raising a further $1,200 for the Foundation. The success of Ladies Day is a testament to the strong community spirit and the incredible contribution of women to the Wombats club – both on and off the field. It’s truly one of the most memorable days on the local rugby calendar. Mudgee Wombats Ladies Day Raises Funds and Spirits
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