• Eleven community organisations in the Orange region have received approximately $1,000 each through the Charles Sturt University Community University Program (CUP) 2024 grants to support their activities.

Charles Sturt University has presented 2024 Community University Program (CUP) grants valued at a total of $10,765 to eleven organisations in the Orange region.

The CUP Grant program is designed to assist regional projects that support cultural, economic, sporting and environmental development or higher education aspirations, particularly among youth in the University’s regions.

Examples of organisations that received 2024 CUP grants in the Orange region are Goodstart Early Learning Orange, Orange United Sports Club, and Blue Moto.

Goodstart Early Learning Orange-Molong Road is a not-for-profit early learning centre and is strengthening community connections via gardening and sustainability.

The centre participates in the NAIDOC Week March, ANZAC Day March, community walks and aims to support children and families to eat a healthy diet and build knowledge around healthy eating.

A CUP grant of $975 for Goodstart Early Learning will help teach children and families how to grow, harvest and cook healthy meals using fresh produce.

The CUP grant will help to implement the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program at the centre by paying for program membership and program resources, beginning in the Toddler and Preschool rooms and then extending to the Infants room.

On a recent visit to Goodstart in Orange Charles Sturt Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Renée Leon, PSM, congratulated the centre staff for developing this important initiative which fosters healthy eating for children and their families.

“Initiatives such as the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program provide many benefits to the centre’s children and families and ultimately the wider community,” Professor Leon said.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to meet the director, staff and children at Goodstart Early Learning in Orange and for the University to show its support and advocacy for maximising health and educational outcomes in the region.”

Mrs Jane Thorpe, Centre Director of Goodstart Early Learning Orange – Molong Road, said the initiative arose because they found that children in the centre are reluctant to try new foods and have a low intake of vegetables.

“We are working with families to increase vegetable intake and build a positive attitude to healthy foods and to reduce highly processed and nutrition-poor foods including fast food,” Mrs Thorpe said.

“We have used Larry the Lorikeet Eat the Rainbow book as a first stage to expose children to more vegetables and fruit for snacks, and educators and the centre chef will provide regular teaching experiences around food and will also take part in preparing healthy snacks and meals for the whole centre.

“Produce will also be used in centre meals and excess produce shared with families to support healthy eating,” she said.

Charles Sturt Director of External Engagement (Orange and Bathurst) Ms Julia Andrews said the CUP grant program continues to work towards the public good by developing individuals who help their communities grow and flourish.

“The 2024 CUP grants assist regional organisations to conduct worthwhile programs such as these – that’s what the fund is all about,” Ms Andrews said.

The Orange United Sports Club is an inclusive community sports club with a focus on providing low-socioeconomic and Firsts Nations people the opportunity to play mainstream sports.

The club received a $1,000 CUP grant to purchase 34 basketball uniforms for three new basketball teams. The uniforms are loaned to players for the season and returned to the club at the end of the competition which saves the individual the cost of the uniform.

Blue Moto (Inc) is a local men’s group based on connection and reducing social isolation. It runs several events locally, including a free fortnightly morning tea for men, a whole of community Wellness Walk, suicide awareness campaigns such as ‘Ride Blue’ and a Suicide Survivor Support Group and Facebook group.

Blue Moto received a CUP grant of $1,000 to help stage the annual 2024 ‘Ride Blue’ event, a day aimed at raising awareness about suicide and mental wellness to connect a section of the community (motorcycle riders, predominately male) with local organisations that can provide support and assistance.

Last year the event attracted 160 riders and the support of eight local support services.

This year, the ninth year of the event, the Ride Blue was held on Saturday 5 October, beginning and ending at Headspace Orange. Riders toured the region and returned to Orange for a free lunch set among a variety of health information stands that provide resources about local support for people struggling with their mental health.

Other organisations in the region to receive Charles Sturt CUP grants are:

• Eugowra Public School – purchase of sensory items for children to use - $1,000
• Parkes Pharmacy – to hold a Community Day - $1,000
• Lachlan Arts Council – an Arts Council tiles display project - $1,000
• Stuart Town Public School - to purchase sporting equipment - $1,000
• Cudal Community Children’s Centre – to purchase culturally inclusive resources - $1,000
• Cudal Public School – to purchase robotics for students’ interactive learning - $990
• Forbes North Public School – to purchase learning and creative play materials - $800
• Orange Public School P&C Association – to create a community and sensory garden - $1,000

In 2024 Charles Sturt University received 160 CUP grant applications across its regional NSW footprint, with 73 projects awarded a total of $70,283.

Grant categories include Arts and Culture, Sports Development, Education Development, Health and Wellbeing and Environmental Sustainability.

Applications for the 2025 Charles Sturt CUP Grants program open at the beginning of next year and can be made via the ‘Grants’ page on the Charles Sturt website.