Michael Ribbeck

Stagecoach West is introducing Ticketer TK300 ticket machines across its region, adding features including real-time bus tracking, QR-code scanning, improved route storage and communication between drivers and depots. The machines are also intended to support future tap-on, tap-off fare capping. The upgrade is being presented alongside a historic Setright machine, highlighting the evolution of bus ticketing technology.

Oxford Brookes Racing won several trophies at the 2026 Formula Student UK competition at Silverstone, competing against 133 international teams. Its autonomous team won five awards, including Overall Winner, while becoming the first UK team to build and run an autonomous racing car in a dynamic Silverstone event. The electric team won the static competition overall and the design category with a lighter, more efficient vehicle. Both teams are preparing for further competition in Hockenheim, Germany, despite an electrical issue affecting the electric car during endurance testing.

Three UK children aged nine to 11 who won Brookfield Aviation’s Brookie’s Aviation Adventures Writing Competition will attend a special event at Oxford Airport in Kidlington. The winners and a parent or guardian will take a light-aircraft flight, use flight simulators, tour air-traffic-control facilities, visit the airport fire station and maintenance facilities, and meet aviation professionals before receiving their awards.

A University of Oxford-led clinical trial found that a 2.5-hour automated virtual reality programme can reduce needle fear among 12- to 15-year-olds. The treatment uses gradual exposure in a virtual school setting, guided by a virtual coach, and progresses from viewing needles to simulated vaccination. Researchers say the therapy could improve access to treatment amid a shortage of therapists and help address vaccination shortfalls linked to needle phobia.

The Kirtlington Community Shop and Café in Oxfordshire earned the One To Watch award at the Plunkett UK Rural Community Awards and secured a £10,500 National Lottery Community Fund grant to help complete its new facility. Committee members Raj Chandegra and Michael Shackleton highlighted the project’s importance for restoring village social connections and praised Plunkett UK’s support throughout the process.