The Crafters Emporium, which previously boasted stores in Oxford, Didcot and Faringdon, previously announced that its shop on Sheep Street, Bicester will close in October.

But now it has been revealed that the landlord of the store, Makespace Oxfordshire, has given the business a notice of forfeiture.

Crafters collecting their unsold stock from the Oxford store (Image: Contributed)

Forfeiture is the legal right that allows a landlord to terminate a lease if the tenant is in breach of the lease, this could mean not paying rent or violating terms of the lease.

On Saturday, July 18 the landlords re-entered the property and put the notice of forfeiture on the shop window, permitting anyone from entering the premises unless allowed to do so by the landlord.

This comes just weeks after The Enforcement Agency repossessed the company’s remaining shop on Cornmarket Street, Oxford due to unpaid rent. 

The Crafters Emporium in Cornmarket (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Crafters who sold stock in the Oxford shop were told to collect all their items earlier this month, it is unknown if they have been told the same about the Bicester store.

The business is now expected to file for insolvency after reports of crafters who sold stock in the store being left out of pocket by thousands of pounds. 

The business also announced the closure of their Faringdon store last month after six years in the town.

The Crafters’ Emporium has declined to comment.

European Technology Group has acquired financial support portal Lightning Reach, bringing the UK platform into its GovTech investment portfolio.

Lightning Reach said the change in ownership will leave its operations and team intact. Chief Operating Officer Rhiannon Sheridan has become Chief Executive Officer, while founder Ren Yi Hooi will remain involved as a Director on the Board.

The acquisition comes as pressure grows on public bodies, charities and utilities to improve how financial aid reaches households. More than 20 million people in the UK live in financially vulnerable circumstances, and more than £24 billion in support goes unclaimed each year, according to the companies.

Lightning Reach was set up during the Covid-19 pandemic to bring different support schemes into one digital application journey. Since launching in late 2021, its platform has reached more than 300,000 people and facilitated more than £25 million in financial assistance.

The business works with more than 100 organisations across the UK, including utility providers, local authorities, charities, housing associations and banks. Its model is designed to reduce administrative work for institutions while helping people find and apply for support spread across multiple schemes.

Leadership change

The transaction also formalises a leadership handover already under way. Sheridan, previously Chief Operating Officer, takes charge as the business enters its next stage under ETG ownership.

Hooi described the sale as the point at which the company could continue its mission beyond its founding leadership.

“I’m incredibly proud of this milestone. Lightning Reach started as a nascent idea during the pandemic and is now a thriving impact business, helping hundreds of thousands people access over £25 million in financial support with over 100 partners across the UK. I’ve always wanted to make sure our impact as a company can outlast my role as the founder, and it’s clear we’ve reached this point. Rhiannon has been an exceptional leader since she joined our early team nearly five years ago and is the ideal person to lead our next phase, with ETG providing the dream long-term home that will allow us to stay laser-focused on our mission,” said Ren Yi Hooi, Founder, Lightning Reach.

Rhiannon Sheridan, CEO of Lightning Reach, said the company would continue to focus on access to support while expanding its reach.

“When I joined Lightning Reach, we were a tiny team with a big goal, to make it easier for people to access support while removing the manual work that slows organisations down. It has been a privilege to be part of the journey and I’m honoured to take on Ren’s legacy as CEO as we enter this next chapter. With ETG’s long-term backing, sector expertise and clear alignment with our mission, we have the right partner to help us scale sustainably, deepen our partnerships and keep investing in the platform as we work towards helping one million people access financial support by 2028,” said Sheridan.

Growth plans

ETG said Lightning Reach is its third investment. The group focuses on software businesses serving the public sector and other regulated industries in Europe, and says it has more than 400 public sector clients across six countries, serving a combined population of more than 14 million citizens.

For Lightning Reach, ETG’s appeal appears to lie in access to a buyer with experience in public sector technology and procurement. That matters in a market where councils, charities and service providers often face fragmented systems, budget constraints and reporting demands when distributing grants and other support.

Lightning Reach said it had quadrupled annual recurring revenue over the past year while remaining cash-positive. It was previously backed by nearly 30 investors, including the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Big Issue Invest and Techstars.

ETG’s management framed the acquisition as a bet on a business with an established footprint in a part of the social support system that remains difficult for many households to navigate.

“Lightning Reach is tackling one of the most important challenges out there: making sure people in financial hardship can actually access the help they are entitled to. The team has built something genuinely special, with a brilliant product and real proof of impact. We see a significant opportunity to grow its reach across the UK and beyond, and we could not be more excited to support Rhiannon and the team as they scale,” said Lars Becker, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, ETG.

The wider problem Lightning Reach is trying to address is not only low awareness among potential applicants, but also the patchwork nature of support provision. Help is often offered by different organisations using separate rules and manual processes, making it harder for individuals to claim and for institutions to deliver aid efficiently.

That operating environment has created a growing market for platforms that sit between support providers and claimants. Lightning Reach says its system offers a single route into different types of assistance and helps partner organisations process applications more quickly.

“What drew us to Lightning Reach was the combination of a genuine social mission, an exceptionally talented team, and a platform that makes accessing and delivering financial support faster and simpler for everyone involved. With our long-term backing, resources and entrepreneurial culture, we believe Lightning Reach can continue scaling its impact to support many more people. We are thrilled to be part of the next stage of the journey,” said Sjoerd Smaal, Chief Financial Officer and Co-Founder, ETG.

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Synectics has secured CAPSS certification from the UK National Protective Security Authority for its Synergy security and surveillance platform, confirming that it meets government-defined cyber security requirements.

The award places Synergy among physical security systems independently assessed against standards used in environments where surveillance and security tools are part of essential operations.

The certification strengthens the case for using Synergy across critical national infrastructure, including utilities, transport, policing, government facilities and public spaces. It also secures the platform a place in the National Protective Security Authority’s Catalogue of Security Equipment, a reference point for procurement teams seeking products that meet recognised cyber assurance standards.

The move comes as cyber assurance carries greater weight in the buying process for physical security systems. Procurement frameworks, internal security policies and national guidance increasingly specify or recommend CAPSS certification where systems protect critical services or national assets.

That trend matters for suppliers serving sectors where surveillance platforms are closely tied to day-to-day operations. In those settings, buyers are under pressure not only to assess camera coverage, monitoring functions and operational reliability, but also to consider whether platforms can withstand cyber threats and support secure deployment.

According to Synectics, Synergy was designed with cyber security measures built into its development and operation. The company highlighted a built-in Secure Check framework intended to help users configure systems in line with cyber security practices, including password strength, encryption settings and account permissions.

It also pointed to role- and permission-based access controls designed to limit access to data and functions to authorised users. Other features cited include encrypted video transmission and storage, device and network authentication, and audit logging with system health dashboards for monitoring and post-event investigation.

Those functions address concerns that have grown as security systems have become more connected and more deeply integrated into wider operational technology and IT environments. Surveillance platforms are often linked to networks, remote access tools, storage systems and control room infrastructure, broadening the potential attack surface if cyber protections are weak.

For customers in sectors such as transport and utilities, the issue goes beyond data protection. A compromise affecting a surveillance or control platform could disrupt incident response, reduce visibility over sensitive sites or interfere with systems used to safeguard staff, assets and the public.

Amanda Larnder, Chief Executive Officer of Synectics, said: “Security and surveillance platforms are part of an organisation’s critical operational infrastructure and customers rightly expect them to meet the highest standard of cyber resilience. CAPSS certification demonstrates that Synergy has been independently assessed against rigorous government-defined cyber security requirements, giving customers greater confidence in the platform’s ability to support secure operations in some of the world’s most demanding environments.”

Synectics presented the certification as a factor that could influence supplier selection in markets where independent cyber assessment is becoming harder to ignore. For public sector buyers and operators of national infrastructure, formal assurance can help narrow procurement choices and support comparisons between competing systems.

Procurement focus

CAPSS has gained prominence as organisations seek more structured ways to judge the cyber posture of physical security products. Rather than relying solely on vendor claims, buyers can use certification as evidence that a platform has been tested against a recognised set of requirements.

That is particularly relevant in the UK market, where national infrastructure operators and government-linked bodies face increasing scrutiny over resilience and supply chain security. Security and surveillance systems, once viewed mainly as physical protection tools, are now more often assessed as networked digital systems that must meet wider cyber governance standards.

Synectics said the certification supports confidence among procurement teams seeking cyber-assured solutions. It also argued that the award reinforces its standing in markets where cyber resilience is becoming a more important differentiator in technology selection.

Larnder said: “Cyber resilience is now inseparable from physical security. Organisations increasingly expect security platforms to deliver operational performance and independently verified cyber resilience. Synergy’s CAPSS certification reinforces Synectics’ commitment to delivering on these requirements and further strengthens our position in markets where cyber assurance is becoming an increasingly important differentiator when selecting security and surveillance technology.”