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.”
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.
Betfred has confirmed plans to shut 132 betting shops from September, blaming higher taxes and wider economic uncertainty for the move.
The Warrington‑based bookmaker said the closures would affect just over a tenth of its UK estate and leave it with around 1,100 branches nationwide.
Betfred, founded by brothers Fred and Peter Done in 1967, has grown into one of the country’s biggest betting shop operators, with the pair’s combined wealth recently estimated at £3.61 billion.
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Chief executive Jo Whittaker said the company had “worked hard” to protect high street outlets and jobs, but rising employer National Insurance contributions, wage pressures and increased gambling duties had made that more difficult.
“We have tried hard to protect all our sites and the colleagues who work in them, but the combined impact of higher employer national insurance contributions, wage inflation, increases in gambling taxes and wider economic uncertainty has left us with no choice,” she said.
“These are well-run shops, staffed by dedicated colleagues, and it is incredibly hard to see any of them close, but the current fiscal and regulatory environment has made it impossible to keep trading all our shops.
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“Our priority now is to support the colleagues affected, and to continue serving customers and communities across the rest of our estate.”
Betfred has not published a full list of locations earmarked for closure, and it is not yet clear whether any Oxfordshire branches will be affected.
The company currently operates several betting shops in and around Oxford, including sites on Cornmarket Street, Cowley Road, Barns Road, in Templars Square and in Headington, as well as other outlets elsewhere in the county.
This newspaper enquired directly with Betfred as to whether any stores in Oxfordshire would be closing as part of the plans and, if so, which ones.
A spokesperson for Betfred responded: “We cannot comment on individual shops as there is a consultation process underway for the staff concerned.”
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