Ross-shire athletes receive travel funding from SportScotland to help go the distance
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Three Ross-shire athletes have been awarded funding from SportScotland for travel costs to help them realise their full athletic potential.
Runners Lucas Cairns from Fortrose and Alexander Mackay from Dingwall along with Avoch golfer Jack Mann have been awarded grants from SportScotland’s Athlete Travel Award Scheme.
The Athlete Travel Award Scheme is a partnership between SportScotland and participating local authorities - Orkney Islands, Western Isles, Shetland Islands and Highland.
It is aimed at helping ‘elite pathway’ athletes – athletes with the potential to compete at a high level - to gain better access to competition and training opportunities without having to relocate from their communities.
Athletes can apply for sums up to £1500 through an application process, with athletes required to evidence how the grant will improve their performance, provide them access to quality training and competition opportunities to support their development through their sporting pathway.
SportScotland has allocated each of the four local authorities in Highland and Islands £10,000, with the councils or leisure trusts then required to top this up with £2000 of their own funding, plus the equivalent of £3000 of management and administrative time.
Speaking about the initiative, SportScotland chief executive Stewart Harris said: “We recognise the specific challenges faced by athletes in Highland.
“That is why we are delighted to provide this investment through the Athlete Travel Award Scheme, in partnership with High Life Highland.
“By working together, we can deliver services locally through the sportscotland institute of sport and High Life Highland, while providing additional support to allow athletes to travel to competitions and progress in their sport.”
Sports minister Maree Todd added: “This scheme supports those athletes from rural, remote and island communities to overcome some of the challenges they face, such as access to facilities and travel costs.”
