Scottish Powerlifting annual report

Director for Scotland Report - British Powerlifting AGM 2026

These past 12 months have seen Scottish Powerlifting continue to build on the successes
and progress of recent years. There is a real sense of momentum and drive across the
organisation, with each year bringing new opportunities, greater ambition and more
possibilities for what we can achieve for, and with, our members.
We see that growth across all aspects of the federation – from year-on-year increases in
membership and significant growth in female participation, to more opportunities than
ever to compete, develop and contribute to the sport. Our competitions continue to grow
in both scale and ambition, more Scottish athletes are competing on the British and
international platforms, and we continue to invest in the lifters, coaches and volunteers
who are so fundamental to our success.

Competitions remain at the heart of what we do, and this year we continue to provide
opportunities for everyone. With nearly 20 competitions each year, we continue to operate
one of the busiest competition calendars in British Powerlifting. This year, we were
incredibly proud to host the British Masters Championships in Edinburgh. Delivering a
British National Championship for nearly 250 lifters over one weekend was a significant
undertaking for our team and volunteers, and a fantastic way to showcase the standard of
events we can deliver.

We have also continued to push the ambition and quality of our own competitions. This
year’s Scottish Classic Championships was our most high production to date – but perhaps
even more than the production upgrades, what stood out was the atmosphere and level of
investment in the event from everyone involved. This really felt like a professional sporting
event, with every spectator invested in what was happening on the platform and ready to
raise the roof with every deadlift. This was a weekend that really captured the community
and culture that has developed alongside the federation in recent years, and it will be an
event that lives long in the memory.

None of this would of course be possible without the incredible community of volunteers
that have grown and developed with us, and as our ambitions have grown so too has the
commitment of the people that make it all happen. We are so fortunate to have both a core
group of volunteers who give a huge amount of time and energy to Scottish Powerlifting
week in, week out, and a growing wider community that continue to step forward and get
involved.

Team Scotland has also continued to go from strength to strength, with a record number
of applications for this year’s Commonwealth Championships in Canada and a fantastic
showing from our team at the Luxembourg Open Invitational earlier this year.
Alongside this, we have continued to invest in our coaches and development pathways.
Now in its third year, our flagship Coaching Development Programme has now grown into
a network of over 70 coaches with a wide range of experience and backgrounds.

The programme blends seminars, external speakers, tailored personal development plans
and practical sessions to help build a strong foundational base of knowledge, as well as
offering opportunities and a clear pathway to develop within Team Scotland environments.
We are especially pleased to see significant progress being made in opportunities for
female coaches and continue to work towards clearer coaching and athlete development
pathways.

There is, as always, a huge amount that we still want to do, and one of our biggest
challenges is in keeping pace with our own growth, ensuring we have the people,
infrastructure and resources needed to support our often quite lofty ambitions – however
that is an exciting challenge to have and one we will continue to work hard on.
A huge thank you to our committee, our core and committed group of volunteers, and
everyone who has given their time, energy and support. A power of work happens behind
the scenes that most people will never see, but know that your hard work is felt and
experienced by everyone across our entire membership and in the positive community we
have built together.

Overall, it has been another great year, and we look forward to building on that progress
together with British Powerlifting to create an even stronger future for the sport.
Claire Tocher
Chair and Director for Scotland