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.

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

SHI has joined the Tokenomics Foundation as a founding member. The group is part of the Linux Foundation.

The move makes SHI one of the early members of an industry body focused on standards and best practice for the economics of artificial intelligence infrastructure. The foundation is developing frameworks to help organisations track the cost and value of AI systems as use of generative AI and agentic tools expands.

Businesses are under growing pressure to show returns on AI spending while keeping control of usage, governance and operating costs. That has led to closer scrutiny of how computing resources are used and whether AI deployments are delivering measurable business value.

The Tokenomics Foundation was set up to advance open collaboration around token production, token consumption and AI value management. Its work draws on FinOps principles, linking product design, engineering, finance, operations and governance through a shared understanding of AI cost and value.

For SHI, the membership extends an existing role in adjacent areas of technology cost management. It is also a Premier member of the FinOps Foundation, which is also hosted by the Linux Foundation.

SHI said it would work with other members to help define frameworks and best practices for organisations adopting and scaling AI. The effort is intended to improve how AI-generated value is measured, distributed and governed.

One issue for companies deploying AI is that consumption-based pricing can make spending difficult to predict. As use spreads across departments, executives often face questions about whether systems are delivering enough value to justify the cost, especially when oversight is split across technical, financial and operational teams.

Shane Cronin outlined SHI’s view of that shift. “As organizations move from experimenting with AI to operating it at scale, the ability to understand how token consumption drives cost, efficiency, and business value is becoming critical,” said Shane Cronin, Head of FinOps & ITAM Services, SHI.

“SHI has long believed that strong governance requires collaboration across the disciplines of IT Asset Management, FinOps, and now AI economics. We are committed to helping shape the industry standards, frameworks, and best practices organizations need to manage technology and AI investments with confidence. Joining the Tokenomics Foundation strengthens our ability to help customers turn AI adoption into measurable business outcomes while contributing to the evolution of this rapidly emerging discipline,” said Cronin.

Industry standards

The foundation’s backers argue that common methods are needed because organisations often lack a consistent way to measure value from AI spending. That challenge has become more acute as AI tools move beyond pilots into broader operational use.

J.R. Storment, Executive Director of the Tokenomics Foundation, said SHI would add practical experience to the group’s work. “SHI has established itself as a key voice and member across the technology value community, including the FinOps Foundation, ITAM Forum, and now Tokenomics Foundation,” said J.R. Storment, Executive Director, Tokenomics Foundation.

“SHI brings a depth of customer and practitioner experience to the table. As organizations work to measure value from AI spend, Tokenomics Foundation gives them a neutral, community-built discipline to do it, and we look forward to the insight SHI will add as we define AI value management together,” said Storment.

SHI describes itself as a USD $16 billion technology solutions provider serving more than 17,000 corporate, public sector and academic customers worldwide. The business employs more than 7,000 people.

Its entry into the foundation reflects a wider effort across the technology sector to create AI governance models more closely tied to spending discipline. As companies seek to move from experimentation to routine use, industry groups are trying to establish shared definitions and measurement standards that can be applied across suppliers, customers and internal teams.

That work is likely to shape how organisations assess the financial case for AI projects, especially where usage is measured in tokens and infrastructure costs can shift rapidly with demand. The Tokenomics Foundation’s central aim is to build common frameworks and best practice that support responsible, efficient and business-aligned AI adoption.

Supermarkets including Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Co-op have suspended sales in response to warnings from fire chiefs during a period of hot, dry weather that has increased the risk of wildfires across the country.

The likes of Wilko and The Range have also started removing them from stores and online.

Recent blazes have already broken out in Dunwich, Suffolk and the Rhondda Valley in Wales.

Major retailers have taken action in line with voluntary guidance from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) lasting until Wednesday, August 12.

A Co-op spokesperson said: “Co-op takes its environmental and community responsibilities extremely seriously and has a long-standing policy for the safe sale disposable BBQs, supported by the NFCC.

“Due to the very hot weather and drought conditions the UK is currently experiencing, and in line with the NFCC guidance, we have voluntarily removed all disposable BBQs from sale for a temporary period.”

A spokesperson for Tesco said: “As a responsible retailer Tesco follows the voluntary code on the sale of disposable barbecues created by the British Retail Consortium and the NFCC.

“In line with the code, we have temporarily removed disposable barbecues from sale across our stores and online.”

Retailers Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose and M&S stopped selling disposable barbecues in 2022.

“We have to accept the fact that the climate has changed”

Jon Pearce, the Labour MP for High Peak in Derbyshire, who has called on retailers to remove the products from sale for the rest of the summer, welcomed the move and urged smaller shops to follow suit.

He also called for longer-term action to address changing climate conditions.

Mr Pearce told the Press Association: “The big retailers are taking the lead, which is great, but now we need the others to come in behind them.

“Asking them to suspend sales this summer is to deal with the immediate problem but we have to accept the fact that the climate has changed.”

He said that “last summer was the worst on record for wildfires,” and warned: “This year will almost certainly surpass it.

“We need to adapt quickly to our changing climate and start planning for next summer now.”

Mr Pearce continues to campaign for a full ban on disposable barbecues in public spaces.

He said: “The Government needs to genuinely look at what’s happening.

“It’s great retailers are supporting us this summer but I would expect the Government to look at the risks and act ahead of next summer.”

Fire chiefs say wildfires are putting growing and sustained pressure on services, with more than 700 incidents already recorded in England and Wales this year.

What are wildfires caused by?

Prolonged hot weather combined with human activity is one of the main causes of wildfires, according to the National Emergencies Trust.

It explains: “Hotter weather alone cannot cause wildfires.

“It depends on fuel, weather conditions and an ignition source, like lightning or human action.

“Many wildfires are sparked by human activities, including discarded cigarettes, campfires, and even arson.

“Unintentional acts of negligence can have devastating consequences.”

Do you agree with the decision for supermarkets to remove disposable barbecues from sale? Let us know in the comments.