Torpedo team volunteers with SOFEA.

The Torpedo team loves to help others, whether that’s collaborating with our colleagues, or going out into the community to spread a bit of good, we’ll get stuck right in. And we’ve done just that.

Putting on our hi-vis and steel–capped shoes, we headed over to SOFEA in Didcot, Oxfordshire. Richard started this charity with his wife, Ruth, eight years ago and they’ve been helping the community ever since. One half of the charity helps disadvantaged young people gain more life skills and confidence. This could be teens with learning disabilities, social insecurities or those who have come from difficult backgrounds. SOFEA provides a safe place for learning and support.  

Many of the young people grow with SOFEA and support the other side of the charity, the FareShare food redistribution service. They are able to help the wider communities of Oxfordshire by supplying food to 20 Community Larders. Sorting through an impressive two million items every six months, the team gets tons of food to those who need it most.

As you can imagine, not all food makes it out by its best before date, but SOFEA makes sure nothing is ever wasted. The food that can’t be taken to one of the larders either goes to a local animal sanctuary or is sent to a biofuel company in Wantage, where it’s turned into electricity.

The team took to the warehouse floor over two days and helped out by sorting through many donations. We created food packages filled with pasta, tinned goods, fresh fruit and vegetables, hygiene products, and much more. We all enjoyed meeting the SOFEA team and learning about the amazing work they achieve day in and day out.  

SOFEA is always looking for additional support, whether that’s more volunteers, or donations. To find out more, head to SOFEA’s website: https://www.sofea.uk.com/