Falkirk Council: Hunt is on for applicants for Dennis Canavan Scholarship award

The Dennis Canavan scholarship is presented to one youngster ever year, giving a £500 cash award to go towards helping them with their further or higher education.

The young person can have made their mark locally through a number of different ways, including voluntary work, charity sponsorship, sports coaching and caring for others.

Anyone from a school or community group can nominate a pupil to receive the award, recognising young people’s outstanding contributions to community life in the local area.

Nominations for the scholarship can be accepted up until April 30 and can be made here

The scholarship fund was set up by Falkirk Council in 2008 in recognition of the remarkable political contribution by Dennis Canavan to the life of the Falkirk community.

For over three decades, Dennis Canavan represented Falkirk West as an MP and later as its first MSP, until he retired in 2007.

Himself a former teacher, he has always been committed to supporting young people at all levels of education.

At last year’s ceremony when the scholarship was presented, he said: “From the very beginning I intended that the scholarship would not just be about the brightest and the best but the other main criteria is service to others.

"Education should be of benefit or service to others in their school community and the wider community.”

Last year’s winner was former Braes High pupil 18-year-old Sophie Wood of Rumnford who is at Queen Margaret University studying primary education.