SOTA MT made a decision two years ago to issue certificates free of charge in a downloadable format. It was anticipated at the time that it would be a simple matter to introduce online checking of the database, however this has proven not to be as simple as we had hoped. The high demand for downloadable certificates has placed an unacceptable workload on the Awards Manager, particularly as many claimants applications are inaccurate and require extensive verification before issue.
Consequently issue of downloadable certificates will be suspended from the end of July. Work is proceeding to implement an automated system for the issue of these certificates but we anticipate that this could take two or three months to implement. Printed certificates, trophies and merchandise are not affected by this decision, these will be available as normal. Awards can be issued retrospectively with no time limit so once the automated system is in-place claims may be made as normal.
Barry GM4TOE
SOTA Awards Manager