Thursday September 24th 2026
David McQueenie, manager of Easthouse Lily Miners Welfare FC with Graeme Souness at Easthouse Lily Miners Welfare FC, for Cash4Clubs on 11th March 2026, in Dakeith, Scotland. (Picture by Mark Runnacles)
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Midlothian grassroots sports clubs are being urged to apply for a share of £500,000 in funding after football legend Graeme Souness highlighted the impact a previous grant had on Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare FC.
The Cash4Clubs initiative, backed by Souness and former England star Alan Shearer, is reopening for applications on October 1, with grants available to help community clubs attract new members, purchase equipment and boost participation in sport and fitness.
For the first time, five major awards of £10,000 will also be available alongside grants of £2,000 for successful applicants.
Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare FC, based in Midlothian, was among the previous beneficiaries of the scheme, with Souness visiting the club earlier this year to surprise players at a training session and tell them they had secured funding.
The former Scotland international said the club had since battled back from financial difficulties and the threat of relegation.
“Never underestimate the difference a small grant can make to the survival of a grassroots club or local community group,” he said.
“Earlier this year, I visited Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare FC to surprise them at training with the news that they’d received a Cash4Clubs grant.
“Since then, they’ve battled back from financial hardship and the threat of relegation.
“The application window for Cash4Clubs grants, delivered by Sported UK, reopens on 1 October. If your club or organisation helps keep adults involved in sport, make sure you apply.”
The scheme is aimed specifically at supporting adult participation in sport, with funding targeted at clubs using sport to tackle wider social issues including mental health challenges, rural isolation and economic deprivation.
Up to 225 clubs will be able to receive £2,000 grants, while five clubs will receive the larger £10,000 awards.
Previous Cash4Clubs winners have represented around 100 different sports, from netball to wheelchair rugby, with a particular focus on helping clubs in disadvantaged communities.
Alan Shearer, who presented Newcastle Panthers LGBTQIA+ football team with an award earlier this year, encouraged community clubs to apply.
“Seeing what this grant meant to Newcastle Panthers puts it all into perspective,” he said.
“It’s helped so many members of our local community, both directly through the club and indirectly in the wider area through the positive message they share.
“I would encourage any neighbourhood club to apply for this grant.”
Cash4Clubs has distributed more than £7 million to community sport across the UK and Ireland since it launched in 2008, including £1.3 million to 640 clubs since 2024.
More than half of the clubs funded since 2024 have supported disabled athletes or racially diverse communities.
The programme is run in partnership with charity Sported, which helps assess applications and distribute funding.
Jill Douglas MBE, sports presenter and Sported trustee, said the funding was particularly important as clubs faced rising costs.
“All of us are feeling a squeeze in our finances and you see clubs really struggling to deliver the opportunities that are so important in our communities,” she said.
“Cash4Clubs unrestricted funding allows clubs to use that money where they see fit. The programme allows the people on the ground to make those vital decisions.”
Applications for the 2026 Cash4Clubs funding round open on October 1.
Watch Graeme Souness visiting Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare FC below.
Watch the launch video below.
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