New store DartSmart set up shop in unit 14 of Templars Square Shopping Centre, Cowley, with a grand opening event on Saturday, August 1.

The small, family-run business has been launched by Dwaine Jackson, an avid player who wanted to create Oxfordshire’s ‘new home of darts’.

READ MORE: Cyclist killed in late-night crash with car at Oxford bridge

He is supported by his wife, Jay, who helped setting up the store while on maternity leave with their nine-month-old son, from her job as a personal assistant.

The shop is open Tuesday to Sunday and supplies dart equipment from beginner level to pro (Image: Dwaine Jackson)

Mr Jackson said: “I have a passion for darts and I play regularly in the local Oxford leagues, but I noticed I needed to travel out of Oxford for accessories, or order online with delivery costs and longer wait times.

“So, I wanted to bring an accessible darts shop central to Oxford and surrounding towns to fulfil the needs of the local dart players.”

DartSmart sells premium equipment and accessories for all levels, for beginners to professionals, stocking major brands.

DartSmart opened in Cowley as Oxfordshire’s new ‘home of darts’ (Image: Dwaine Jackson)

It also offers a trade discount for pubs, clubs and league venues, to support the sport the owner loves so much, and has two dedicated oches so customers can try before they buy.

READ MORE: Oxford cop made ‘sexual remark’ of BP petrol station teen

DartSmart had a successful grand opening event on Saturday, August 1 (Image: Dwaine Jackson)

A spokesperson for Templars Square Shopping Centre said: “Whether you’re inspired by world-class players like Luke Littler or picking up your first set of darts, DartSmart has everything you need to enjoy the game, from darts and dartboards to flights, shafts and cases.

“Pop in and give them a warm Templars Square welcome.”

DartSmart is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm, and until 4pm on Sundays.

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

OneAdvanced has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Cosine to join the Lumen Sovereign Coalition, which is working on what the companies describe as Britain’s first fully sovereign frontier AI model.

The agreement brings OneAdvanced into a group of companies and institutions helping to shape the model for regulated and essential service sectors. Its role will include contributing use cases, operational requirements, testing scenarios and deployment feedback from industries where its software is already in use.

Those sectors include healthcare, government, justice, education, care and business services. OneAdvanced will use that experience to help define how the model should operate in settings where security, governance and operational rules can limit the use of foreign-hosted AI systems.

Cosine, a London-based AI laboratory, is developing the Lumen Sovereign model with support from a wider industry coalition. Other members include BAE Systems, Babcock International Group, BT, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, LSEG, NatWest Group, PwC, The Alan Turing Institute and Vodafone.

The project is backed by the UK Government’s Sovereign AI Programme, which has committed GBP £500 million. The model is due to be trained using the Isambard supercomputer in Bristol.

OneAdvanced’s involvement follows its work on a healthcare large language model developed with NVIDIA and trained on NHS primary care data. That system was designed to improve primary care triage, and the company is positioning it as evidence of its experience in applying AI to sector-specific operational needs.

In healthcare, OneAdvanced says its software supports more than 40 million NHS patients across NHS 111, GP practices and trusts. It also works across local government, education, legal services, transport and supply chains.

Sector input

The tie-up reflects a broader push in the UK technology sector to develop AI systems that can be hosted, trained and audited within the country. For organisations operating in heavily regulated environments, questions about where a model runs, what data it is trained on and who can review its operation have become increasingly important in procurement and deployment decisions.

Cosine says the coalition is intended to ensure the model is shaped by organisations that will use it in real operating environments, rather than by technical teams alone. That means feeding in practical constraints from sectors such as healthcare, local government and legal services.

Cosine framed that goal around control and auditability.

“We’re building Lumen Sovereign because we think the UK needs frontier AI it can actually control: where the model runs, what data trained it, who can audit it. That only works if we build it alongside the organisations running the country’s real, regulated infrastructure. OneAdvanced helps us achieve that goal. Their experience with the NHS, local government, education, and thousands of legal practices means they bring insights into the operational constraints a sovereign model needs to actually be useful,” said Alistair Pullen, Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer of Cosine.

Practical focus

For OneAdvanced, the move also underlines its argument that the next stage of AI adoption in critical services will depend less on general model performance claims and more on whether systems can fit existing workflows, governance standards and data-handling requirements.

The company has been advocating for AI systems designed around UK data residency and domestic control over infrastructure. Its software footprint in public and regulated services gives it a route into organisations that may be cautious about deploying overseas-hosted models in sensitive settings.

Simon Walsh set out that position in his remarks on the coalition agreement.

“We have long advocated sovereign AI as the safest and most secure way for UK organisations to leverage the transformative power of AI in their flow of work. Through our work with NVIDIA to develop the UK’s first sovereign healthcare large language model, trained on NHS primary care data to improve patient triage outcomes, we have seen first-hand the importance of combining advanced technology with deep sector knowledge, robust governance and a clear understanding of the workflows organisations rely on every day. That is why we are delighted to join the Lumen Sovereign coalition.

“Organisations in the UK’s highly regulated and essential service sectors need AI that is not only powerful, but secure, trusted and designed around the realities of the environments in which it will operate. We look forward to working with Cosine and the wider coalition to help turn that ambition into practical capability,” said Walsh.

The club will continue working with AWBS, which will remain as the club’s Official Substitution Sponsor until the end of the 2027/28 season.

Lee Barton, head of revenue at Oxford United, said: “We’re thrilled to announce this enhanced multi-year agreement that will see AWBS continue as our Official Substitution Sponsor.

“We look forward to developing the relationship further during the 2026/27 season.”

AWBS is one of the largest suppliers of building and landscaping materials in Oxfordshire and Wiltshire, with three branches.

The company also has extensive showrooms, a fleet of delivery vehicles, and a dedicated landscape installation service.