April Week 2 2026
Welcome to your weekly top up of newsbites from me, Charlie Marillier, British Powerlifting’s CEO.
ANTI DOPING PROHIBITED ASSOCIATION:
HOW DOES IT APPLY TO POWERLIFTING
Guidance for Members on WADA Prohibited Association Rule
The British powerlifting is committed to protecting clean sport and supporting our members in understanding the rules that help keep competition fair. As part of this commitment, we would like to remind all athletes, coaches, and support personnel about the Prohibited Association rule contained within the World Anti-Doping Code.
What is Prohibited Association?
The Prohibited Association rule is designed to prevent athletes from working with individuals who have been sanctioned for serious anti-doping rule violations. In simple terms, it means that athletes must not knowingly associate with athlete support personnel who are currently serving a ban for doping-related offences.
This rule applies to professional or sport-related relationships, including but not limited to coaching, training advice, medical treatment, therapy, nutrition guidance, or any other support connected to sport.
Who does the rule apply to?
The rule primarily applies to athletes, but it also concerns coaches, trainers, medical practitioners, agents, and other athlete support personnel. If an athlete continues to work with a person who is banned from sport due to anti-doping violations, this may itself become an anti-doping rule violation.
When is association considered prohibited?
Association becomes prohibited when an athlete knowingly continues a professional or sport-related relationship with an individual who has been declared ineligible for involvement in sport following an anti-doping violation.
Importantly, athletes will normally be formally notified by an anti-doping organisation if a relationship is considered prohibited. After notification, continuing that relationship may lead to disciplinary action.
What counts as association?
Examples of prohibited association may include:
- Receiving coaching or training programmes
- Obtaining medical or physiotherapy services related to sport
- Working with a strength and conditioning coach
- Seeking sport-related nutritional or performance advice
Social contact outside of sport (for example family relationships or purely personal friendships) is not the focus of this rule.
What should members do?
We encourage all members to take a proactive approach to protecting themselves and the integrity of our sport.
Members should:
- Ensure that any coach, trainer, or practitioner they work with is eligible to participate in sport
- Seek clarification if they are unsure about someone’s status
- Contact the national governing body or the relevant anti-doping organisation if they have questions or concerns
If you are notified that an individual you work with is currently ineligible due to an anti-doping sanction, it is important that sport-related work with that individual stops immediately.
Supporting Clean Powerlifting
British powerlifting has a proud tradition of fair competition and integrity. By understanding and following the Prohibited Association rule, our members play an important role in maintaining a level playing field and protecting the reputation of the sport.
If you have any questions about anti-doping rules or the Prohibited Association provision, please contact antidoping@britishpowerlifting.org or consult the anti-doping resources available to members.
Together, we can continue to champion clean sport and uphold the values that make powerlifting strong.
MEMBER ENGAGEMENT – LONG TERM STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT
British Powerlifting is currently developing its long-term strategy, aligned with the requirements of UK Sport Tier 1–3 Code for Sports Governance, which places a strong emphasis on transparency, accountability, and stakeholder engagement.
As part of this process, we are seeking input from members across all areas of the sport. Your feedback will directly inform priorities, investment decisions, and the future direction of British Powerlifting.
The survey is anonymous to encourage open and honest feedback. We do ask that all responses remain constructive and respectful. The survey should take no more than 5 minutes to complete.
ONLINE MEMBERS OPEN FORUM
Just a reminder this coming Friday is the Online Members Open Forum
When: April 17 at 6pm
How: Zoom online video call. Register here to join us.
Here’s a look at what we’ll be putting on the table for discussion:
The Coaching Licence
We’ve been hearing a lot of feedback regarding the British Powerlifting Coaching Licence. It’s been a part of our structure for a while now (as you’ll see in our historical minutes), but we know there’s always room to refine how it works for you. We want to hear your experiences—what’s working, what’s a bit of a headache, and how we can make it a tool that truly supports our coaches.
Getting AGM-Ready (and Solving Problems Now!)
The AGM is coming up, and we want to go into it feeling prepared. This forum is your chance to bring up the items you think are essential for the AGM agenda.
Even better—if there are things we can discuss and resolve right here in the forum, let’s do it! If we can find a cooperative solution now, it saves time at the AGM for the big-picture stuff.
We also want to talk about our Online Voting System. England Director Kevin Jane (KJ) has put forward a submission suggesting we review how we vote. Currently, voting happens before the meeting, but KJ’s point is that this can sometimes “stifle democratic debate.” The idea is to move toward a system more like the IPF’s—where we can discuss a motion, adapt it if needed, and then vote in real-time. Democracy takes a bit longer, but it’s how we ensure everyone’s voice is truly heard.
Growing Pains: The Move to Paid Roles
As many of you know, the workload for our volunteers has become massive. To keep up with Sport England standards and manage international teams and national events, we need consistency and reliability that we just can’t ask of volunteers forever.
Fraser Montgomery and Josh Bell have put forward a proposal to introduce part time paid positions for the CEO, Performance Director, Competition Director, and an Administrator.
The Goal: To attract and keep the highest calibre of people to run our sport professionally.
The Plan: We aren’t just looking at your membership fees to cover this! The proposal looks at a “mixed bag” of funding, including:
- Using some of our reserves.
- A small membership increase (around £3 a year).
- Aggressively pursuing additional sponsorship (targeting £40k–£60k).
- Streamlining the International process to reduce any wasted costs
A Final Note on How We Talk
When we meet for this forum, I’m asking everyone to come with a spirit of respect and cooperation. We are all here because we love Powerlifting. The sport has grown so much, and while that brings challenges, it’s a brilliant problem to have. Let’s find the best path forward together.
WHAT’S COMING UP:
- British Universities and Colleges Championships (BUCS), April 24-26 in Nottingham Trent University.
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- To be part of something great, Volunteer your time for this competition
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- European Equipped Championships, 1-10 May, Czechia
- British Classic Sub-Junior and Junior Championships, 14-17 May, Surrey Sports Park, Surrey
Check out all the upcoming championships from British Powerlifting and you can find all the International Competitions from the IPF Calendar.