Business & Technology
CyberNorth & Check Point bring summit to Newcastle
CyberNorth and Check Point will host the Cyber Leader Summit in Newcastle, bringing Check Point’s summit series to the North East for the first time.
Part of the wider TechNExt programme, the event will bring together cyber security professionals, technology leaders, policymakers and innovators. The Newcastle edition follows previous summits in London and Manchester.
For CyberNorth, the move marks another sign of the North East’s growing role in the UK cyber sector. The organisation supports around 600 businesses and more than 5,000 active professionals across the region, with links to sectors including FinTech, space, maritime and defence.
Check Point, which sells cyber security products and services to businesses and governments, said the summit would focus on issues including AI, quantum technologies, ethics, resilience and skills. Speakers are expected from regional and national organisations, including the BBC.
Regional profile
The summit is backed by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which has promoted stronger cyber practices and wider AI adoption across UK regions. Its support adds a national policy dimension to an event centred on a regional technology cluster.
Jon Holden, Chief Executive Officer of CyberNorth, said: “Bringing the Cyber Leader Summit to Newcastle in collaboration with Check Point is a huge moment for the North East cyber scene. The fact that this nationally recognised roadshow is coming to the region, following events in London and Manchester, is a clear indication of the growing reputation and capability of the North East. The region is home to exceptional cyber talent, innovative businesses and a highly collaborative ecosystem. Through key events such as the Cyber Leader Summit we’re able to bring together industry leaders, innovators and future talent to help strengthen the region’s position as a key player within the UK cyber security landscape.”
The North East has sought to raise its standing as a cyber security centre as part of a broader effort to expand the regional technology economy. CyberNorth added that its relationships with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Business and Trade have helped raise the area’s profile in the UK and abroad.
Sector links
Its network extends across critical national infrastructure, quantum and other technology fields, giving it reach into both established industries and emerging areas. That cross-sector presence helps make events such as the Cyber Leader Summit useful platforms for introductions, partnerships and discussion between public and private sector participants.
Charlotte Wilson, Head of Enterprise at Check Point Software Technologies, said: “We’re delighted to bring the Cyber Leader Summit to the North East in partnership with CyberNorth and as part of TechNExt 2026. The summit is designed to encourage meaningful conversations around the challenges and opportunities facing cyber security today, from AI and quantum technologies to ethics, resilience and future skills while creating opportunities for collaboration across the wider ecosystem. The North East has a vibrant and fast-growing cyber community, and it’s important for us to support and engage with the organisations, leaders and emerging talent helping shape the future of the industry.”
The event reflects a wider trend of national and international cyber security companies looking beyond London for industry engagement. Regional clusters have become more visible as employers, investors and policymakers respond to demand for cyber skills and the spread of digital risk across sectors.
That has also sharpened attention on how local ecosystems connect with national strategy. In this case, the summit’s agenda is expected to cover both current threats and longer-term issues such as skills development and the effect of emerging technologies on resilience.
A spokesperson at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said: “At DSIT, we always look to support the regions in their pursuit of improved cyber security practices and, increasingly, their focus on AI development and its adoption. To strengthen resilience across the UK, it is essential that the regions continue to upskill their businesses and the next generation of professionals in these frontier technologies. That a global leader in cyber tech and AI has chosen to bring their senior leader summit to the North East, is a great indication of the calibre of businesses and potential of the region. I wish the event every success.”
Oxford Small Pet Boarding was funded by Megan Timms in 2020, after spotting a gap in the market for specialist boarding facilities dedicated to small pets.
Over the past six years, she’s built a successful business caring for beloved pets like rabbits and guinea pigs, mice, rats, birds, ferrets and tortoises.
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Now, however, Ms Timms is offering the established business up for sale to a new owner, and has put up a listing seeking another ‘passionate animal lover’ to take on the owner-operated, home boarding business.
“The decision to sell has not been an easy one and is not due to a lack of demand,” the founder explained.
“The business is currently based at a premises that can no longer accommodate the boarding facility because of changes to the landowner’s own business requirements.
“Rather than close the business altogether, I would love to see someone else take over and continue what has been built over the past six years.”
She was inspired to create the pet boarding business after working as a pet sitter, travelling between client’s homes to spend limited time caring for and interacting with their pets.
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However, she felt small animals deserved ‘far more than basic care’, and created the full-time pet boarding set up so she could provide round the clock attention to the animals.
Included in the sale is the established branding, business name, website and social media accounts, the existing customer database, operating procedures and systems, and all the equipment needed to host small pets at a new site including purpose-built cages, outdoor runs and boarding equipment.
Ms Timms added: “The sale presents an exciting opportunity for someone who loves animals and is looking to run their own business.
“The business would suit anyone with a genuine love of animals, whether they’re looking for a career change, a family-run business or an opportunity to expand an existing pet-related enterprise.
“With pet ownership continuing to grow and more people travelling, demand for trusted boarding services remains strong.
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“I’d be delighted to see Oxford Small Pet Boarding continue under new ownership and provide the same high standard of care that customers and their pets have come to expect.”
She added that the business is not tied to any particular location, currently based in an Oxford suburb and operated from a nine-by-five metre indoor building with direct access to secure outdoor exercise runs.
The guide price for the business is £29,950 and interest can be registered through agent Goodwins Business Brokers.
Port Meadow Convenience Store, in Godstow Road, Wolvercote, was closed in 2024 after Oxford City Council officers found rats there.
The officers immediately issued a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice which said the shop “poses an imminent risk of injury to health” as “there is evidence of a serious rat infestation throughout the premises”.
But now, Wolvercote residents have said they have already noticed a vast difference in the shop sayings its great the new owners are “cleaning up and getting rid of the old stock”, and calling the only shop in the area a “great opportunity”.
The new owners took over the shop earlier this week and plan a complete revamp of the premises.
Rajmeet Singh, the new owner of the shop, said: “We wanted to introduce ourselves properly as the new owners of the shop.
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“We are excited to start making improvements for our local community.
“We know there may have been things in the past that could have been better, and we want you to know we are listening.
“We have already started making changes, including improving cleanliness, removing old and expired stock, and bringing in new products and new ideas.”
The new owner said they have lots of plans to improve the shop and will work hard to make it better everyone.
Reviews of the convenience store under the previous owners note that “many items are past their sell by date”, “fridges are left open and temperature is not maintained to keep food fresh”, and “they make up their own prices”.
Other reviews also called the place a “disgrace”.
Tackle Club in Kidlington (OX5 1JD) is having its opening party tomorrow (Saturday, August 8) between 10am to 5pm.
The event will include a barbeque, some free beer and live music, with the owners hoping anglers and others from the around the county attend.
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Born out of their shared love of fishing, the owners of Tackle Club hope that the shop will inspire a love for the sport in younger generations.
Sam Harris, 37, said: “We are all trying to get more youngsters involved and get them off their TVs and catching some fish.”
Stocking all fishing equipment – apart from for sea fishing – the shop will be open from 8.30am to 6pm from Monday to Friday, and 10am until 5pm on weekends.
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