Hello and welcome to another set of newsbites from British Powerlifting’s CEO, Charlie Marillier.
In this weeks top up:
- A heartfelt apology
- Classic Open World Championships
- Equipped Taster session
- IPF Hall of Fame inductee
- Long Term Strategy development
- Articles of association review
- British Powerlifting AGM
A heartfelt apology
Last week, I published a summary of the World Bench Press Championships and was notified that I had omitted naming some of the medalists.
This is a heartfelt apology from me to each of the members of that team who were not mentioned.
I always have, and always will, be immensely proud of every lifter that puts on their GBR singlet, no matter their opinion of me. I will always be proud of you all.
It takes months and years of dedication, hard work, resilience, mental and emotional strength as well as time away from family, friends and a certain lifestyle to achieve these phenomenal results.
This goes to every GBR lifter, powerlifting and bench press, classic and equipped, from sub-junior to masters. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many of you but I know there are so many I’ve yet to meet. I get to watch you on livestream and see how much the successes mean to you all.
I would also like to thank everyone involved in organising British Powerlifting, from division members up to the board I work with. Mistakes will be made, we are human, how we react and manage those errors is the key to us working collaboratively and resolving issues quickly and effectively.
I emailed the entire World Bench Team as soon as I realised my error, to make sure everyone knew this was an error and I will correct it this week.
So, to that end, please see below the accurate results of team GBR at the IPF World Bench Press Championships below.
Classic World Open Championships
What a show
Last week saw the IPF Open Classic Powerlifting championships with GBR having an incredibly strong team.
We will await the official report, to ensure time is given for accuracy, but I would like to congratulate every member of the team, both lifters, coaches and officials, for their successes.
I can say that this Classic Open World team is the most successful in British Powerlifting history, with the Women’s Team winning Best Team and the Men’s team securing Second Best Team.
Check out the IPF page for the full list of results and our socials Instagram.
Equipped Taster Report
Written by Jacob Wymer
It’s been a really productive few weeks promoting equipped lifting, and thank you to all of those that have engaged with the work we’re doing here.
Equipped Taster Stands
We ran another taster stand at the British Masters earlier this month, with over 25 lifters and coaches coming to try out equipped lifting, and plenty more conversations beyond this.
While many of these lifters were brand new to equipped lifting, we also had great engagement from those already in equipment and looking to learn more.
Later this year, Kim Cowell and I will be at the British Open all weekend with a whole range of equipment, so please do come see us and give equipped lifting a go.
Equipped Taster Sessions
This month also saw us running our first two British Powerlifting Equipped Taster sessions.
The first of these was held at Next Level Barbell Club, where we had three lifters brand new to equipment. Thanks to Kate, Hugo and Josh for hosting this.
Then this last weekend we hosted another at Stalybridge Powerlifting Club, where we had 13 lifters of various experiences. Thank you to Kim and Leanne for your help here too.
These have been a great opportunity for those learning to use the equipment for the first time, but also proved useful for some of our more experienced lifters to get hands on help.
We’re currently planning our taster sessions for next quarter, and will publish details for these ASAP.
If you’ve any questions about our taster sessions, or just equipped lifting in general, please do get in touch.
IPF Hall of Fame Recognition
Phil Richard has been inducted into the IPF Hall of Fame.
This is a significant honour and recognises his long-standing contribution to British and international powerlifting.
Although Phil is no longer with us, this is a mark of recognition of the impact he had on this sport.
Being one of only five British males inducted into the IPF fall of fame highlights how rare it is to achieve this recognition.
Phil’s successes, dating back to 1984, include both European Juniors and Masters Champion as well as World Juniors and Masters champion. Phil’s career spanned 5 decades with records and medals galore. But more than his powerlifting achievements, Phil was the epicentre of every team he was on. He was there for Powerlifting and for the team.
Shortly before his untimely passing, Phil was talking to me about developing his coaching career as a way of giving back to the sport he could no longer compete in. He was dedicated to both British Powerlifting and the IPF.
We are delighted he will be ever celebrated in the highest honour possible in this sport.
British Powerlifting Strategy development
Planning for the future
Work has begun on the development of British Powerlifting’s long-term strategy for 2026-2032, with the aim of creating a clear, ambitious and deliverable roadmap for sustainable growth across the sport. The strategy is being built around the proposed long-term vision of British Powerlifting becoming a world-leading National Governing Body, supported by a mission to develop the best People, Places and Platforms across the powerlifting community.
The emerging framework is structured around three strategic pillars. People focuses on members, volunteers, coaches, officials, athletes, clubs and the wider workforce needed to support the sport from grassroots through to international performance. Places considers the environments where powerlifting happens, including clubs, competitions, divisions, home nations, universities and accessible training spaces. Platforms focuses on the systems, governance, partnerships, communications, digital infrastructure, performance pathway and organisational capability required to support long-term development.
A key part of the work to date has been reviewing member feedback and identifying the strongest recurring themes. Members are broadly positive about the standard of British Powerlifting competitions, the supportive nature of the community and the quality of international athletes. However, the feedback also highlights clear areas for improvement, particularly around communication, governance and transparency, grassroots development, athlete opportunities, consistency of decision-making, inclusivity, and support for clubs and volunteers. These themes are being incorporated directly into the three-pillar model so that the strategy reflects the lived experience of members as well as the organisational ambitions of British Powerlifting.
The draft framework also begins to outline how British Powerlifting can move from aspiration to implementation. This includes developing consultation phases with members, divisions, home nations, key volunteers, board members, partners and external stakeholders. It also proposes a stronger engagement approach with government and sport bodies across the UK, including Sport England, sportscotland, Sport Wales and Sport Northern Ireland, to ensure the strategy aligns with wider priorities around participation, inclusion, talent development, wellbeing, governance and community impact.
Governance Review: Articles of Association and By-Laws
British Powerlifting Board has started work on the Articles review with legal consultation.
This will begin the process of writing updated Articles of Association and by-laws to represent the modern UK Sport Code of Governance and the increasingly changing and dynamic landscape of the sport.
This is a significant piece of governance work and will need careful Board oversight. The aim is to ensure that British Powerlifting’s constitutional and regulatory framework is fit for purpose, modern, clear and aligned with best practice. This work should also help support future decision-making, clarify responsibilities and reduce ambiguity across the organisation.
Once we have completed this initial review, which will include engaging with Sub-Committees, partners and Board approval, we will look to engage with the membership to ensure we are working towards a shared vision.
British Powerlifting AGM
Information for you
On May 26, British Powerlifting published a notice of the upcoming AGM to be held online on July 26 2026. There is information on the published AGM page.
Motion submission is now live until this Friday. Please check out the AGM page for guidance and information on how to submit motions.
We welcome members to be as active as possible in shaping our organisation.
Please note, we will also be holding an open discussion of the motions for BP AGM 2026 on Thursday 23 July 2026, 11:00. This is to be held while voting is still open so members can talk through the issues before they finalise or change their intended vote before submitting it. After submission votes are final.
WHAT’S COMING UP:
- British Powerlifting AGM, July 26 10.00am
Check out all the upcoming championships from British Powerlifting and you can find all the International Competitions from the IPF Calendar.
