Willie Innes Coaches and Officials Award

Sport would not take place without the huge support from our coaches and officials.

Willie Innes Awards for Coaches and Officials

Coaches and Officials make a valuable contribution to the development of sport and recreation. This grant is designed to help those working in a voluntary capacity with local clubs to improve their qualifications and to widen their experience for the benefit of local sportspeople.

The scheme is open to all clubs based in East Lothian. To be eligible a club must be properly constituted and affiliated to the appropriate Governing Body of Sport.

Financial assistance is available to Clubs to support the development of club coaches and officials through the following:

• Attendance by active Club coaches and officials at courses leading to appropriate qualifications
• Attendance by active Club coaches and officials at appropriate conferences or seminars
• Attendance by active Club coaches and officials at representative events of an appropriate standard, where it can be demonstrated that attendance clearly improves experience and technique, leading to an advancement of official status or qualifications.
• Attendance by a practising athlete (usually an existing Club member) at a course leading to formal coaching / officiating qualifications. It must be demonstrated that the individual has a firm coaching commitment to the Club before support will be considered.

Grants will only be made retrospectively and applications should be submitted on completion of the course/ event for which assistance is being requested.  Please contact the Principal Officer (Recreation & Physical Activity) on 01620 827403 if you are unsure about the eligibility of your application.

Grants are based on 50% of course fees, accommodation costs and travelling expenses for approved courses or events within the UK, up to a maximum of £175 per person. There is no limit to the number of applications a Club can make but the maximum paid out in any financial year ( 1 April - 31 March) will be :

• Clubs with up to 50 members     £350 pa
• Clubs with over 50 members      £750 pa

Accommodation expenses will only be reimbursed where appropriate receipts are submitted, up to a maximum of £45pp per night.

Travelling expenses are not met for courses or events within East Lothian. For travel outwith East Lothian payment will be based on one of the following :

• Second class rail fare
• Bus fare
• Reimbursement of petrol costs at 8.5p per mile
• Internal air fare ( where cheaper than, or equivalent to, the corresponding rail, car or bus journey).

For events or courses outwith the UK application must be made for a Special Award for which there is a separate information leaflet and application form.

Eligibility for this award will be based on the location of the club which will benefit. A resident of another authority will receive assistance if helping in a voluntary capacity for an East Lothian club, an East Lothian resident will not, if the club they are involved with is based outwith East Lothian. 

No financial support can be provided for students seeking to obtain or further their qualifications if, at the time of application, they are not actively involved in coaching in East Lothian.

How to apply.

Click here to apply.

A separate application form must be completed for each course and on each occasion when financial support is requested.