Eighteen-year-old former Strathaven Academy pupil, Scott Fleming, secured a place to study Sport and Exercise Science at Stirling University last year.

A Connect2 Renewables further education grant of £500 helped fund travel and start-up costs to make sure he could take up his studies.

Now, at the start of his second year, the fund has also supported the keen athlete to take up a place on the University’s high-performance swim team.

Scott’s project liaison officer, Diane Leiper, explained: “Scott is a talented swimmer who, in his second year at Stirling, has been offered a place in the University’s high performance.

“This is such a great opportunity for Scott however it has an attached monthly fee. Despite working part time in the sports industry over the summer and picking up shifts when he can, there was the possibility the fees, on top of travel costs, could mean the opportunity was out of reach.

“I was delighted to be able to offer further support from Connect2 Renewables to cover these costs and ultimately be able to give Scott the best chance of pursuing a career in sport which is he passionate about.”

Scott, too, is grateful for the Fund and the difference it has made to his prospects for the future.

He said: “When I started at Stirling University the £500 further education grant was a huge help. It went towards my start-up and really made the transition from school to university much smoother.

“Then when I was offered the spot on the High-Performance Swim Team, I knew this was a huge step in my pathway in sport — an amazing opportunity that could bring me one step closer to a career in the industry.

"However, the monthly cost of being on the team was difficult to manage and that’s when I reached out to Connect2 Renewables again. I’m really grateful that they offered to cover the training fees; it’s taken a huge weight off my shoulders and means I can fully commit to my studies and my sport.”

The South Lanarkshire Council and OnPath Energy Employability Initiative Partnership is funded from a proportion of the community benefit funds from Middle Muir windfarm, Crawfordjohn, and Kype Muir windfarm, Strathaven.

Those who are out of work and who live within 10km of either windfarm can apply to the fund for support. Full details are available on the council website.