What SOFEA does

SOFEA is a registered charity (charity number 1155783) founded in 2014 and headquartered in Didcot, Oxfordshire, with a second operational site in Milton Keynes. It serves vulnerable young people aged 12-25 across the South Midlands and Thames Valley regions through three interconnected programme pillars: education and employability, wellbeing, and food security. The organization is part of the national FareShare food redistribution network and operates a network of community larders, supported by two warehouse operations in Didcot (Oxfordshire) and Milton Keynes.

The organization's core offerings include education and employability programmes (such as Powerhouse Pathways, No Limits, and GCSE English/Maths retake support), wellbeing services (Social Prescribing through an NHS partnership with the Didcot Primary Care Network, autism advocacy, outreach programmes, and the SOFEA Sessions podcast), and food access via Community Larders and a Community Food Members B2B redistribution programme. Technology stack is minimal: a bespoke 'Sheep CRM' platform handles Community Larder member sign-up and management, and the broader FareShare network provides the intake infrastructure for surplus food from supermarkets and food manufacturers. There is no proprietary software product, AI capability, or platform technology — the model is fundamentally a people-led, physical-presence social services operation.

SOFEA's revenue model is a hybrid non-profit structure combining earned income (Community Larder weekly subscriptions of £4.50 individual / £9 family; Community Food Member monthly subscriptions starting at 50kg/week order minimum), grants (BBC Children in Need, Home Office, Police and Crime Commissioner, Oxfordshire Community Foundation, MK Community Foundation), corporate partnerships (PepsiCo, Thames Water, Keelings), and individual giving (regular monthly donations via JustGiving). The organization states an annual operational funding requirement of £1.4 million to cover warehouses, vans, support staff, utilities, and overheads. Governance is led by CEO Richard Kennell and Chair Joanna Dyson OBE (appointed March 2024), with no parent organization, private equity involvement, or institutional ownership.

Name

SOFEA

Legal name

SOFEA

Website

https://sofea.uk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SOFEA is a UK registered charity operating in South Midlands and Thames Valley, delivering education, employability, and wellbeing programmes for vulnerable young people aged 12-25 alongside FareShare food redistribution, Community Larders, and NHS-linked Social Prescribing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Food Redistribution and Youth Support Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Community Food Services (62421), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

Keywords

• Food redistribution services
• Community larders
• Youth employability programmes
• Social prescribing services
• Charity wellbeing support

Headquarters

HQ city

Didcot

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Community Larder Membership: Weekly subscription fees from individual and family memberships for food access through community larders
2. Community Food Members Subscription: Monthly subscription from not-for-profit organisations receiving food deliveries, scaled by weight ordered (starting at 50kg/week)
3. Grants and Donations: Annual grant funding from charitable foundations, corporate partners, government agencies and individual donors. Must raise £1.4 million per year to cover operational costs
4. Corporate Partnerships: Support from corporate partners including volunteering programmes, funding, and food donations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SOFEA is a registered charity that runs an integrated suite of food access and youth support services: it operates FareShare food redistribution from warehouses in Didcot and Milton Keynes, runs a network of Community Larders offering weekly food subscriptions to individuals and families, supplies other not-for-profit organisations through the Community Food Members programme, and delivers education, employability and wellbeing programmes for vulnerable young people aged 12-25, including Social Prescribing in partnership with the NHS.

Product overview

SOFEA is a charitable organisation offering a unified set of social services rather than a technology platform. Its core offering comprises three interconnected pillars: Education/Employability (including Powerhouse Pathways), Wellbeing (including Autism Advocacy, Social Prescribing, and SOFEA Sessions podcast), and Food Security (FareShare redistribution and Community Larders). The Community Food Members programme complements the larders by serving other charitable organisations. These services work together holistically - food provision acts as a gateway to education and wellbeing support, creating a complete ecosystem for vulnerable young people aged 12-25 in the South Midlands and Thames Valley areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Larders Subscription-based food access programme for individuals and families who pay a £10 joining fee plus £4.50/week (individuals) or £9/week (families) to choose up to 14 food items averaging £12-15 in value, plus wraparound services such as debt advice and mental health support.
• Community Food Members (CFM) B2B subscription food supply service for not-for-profit organisations (care homes, school cafes, community centres, religious groups, lunch groups, community fridges). Members receive monthly food deliveries from SOFEA's online stock list with a minimum order of 50kg/week and no upper limit, saving an average of £152 per week.
• Education and Employability Programmes Education, employability and wellbeing programmes for vulnerable young people aged 12-25, combining GCSE English and Maths retakes, work experience, qualifications, coaching, and therapeutic approaches to overcome barriers to education and work.
• Powerhouse Pathways Programme Employability programme for young people delivering an integrated curriculum of coaching, skills workshops with employers, company visits, CV support, interview preparation, and work experience placements.
• Wellbeing Services Wellbeing programmes offering one-to-one and group support, including the Autism Advocacy Group, Outreach Programmes, Social Prescribing, and the SOFEA Sessions podcast.
• FareShare Food Redistribution Local FareShare operation redistributing surplus food from the food industry to charitable organisations, operating warehouses in Didcot (Thames Valley) and Milton Keynes (South Midlands).
• Social Prescribing Service connecting people with non-clinical community support, delivered by SOFEA's Link Workers working with the Didcot Primary Care Network and Age UK Oxfordshire to improve outcomes through choice and control over their lives.
• Outreach Programmes Targeted outreach programmes including the MK Schools Navigator Project supporting students at risk of exclusion through coaching and mentoring, and the Outreach & Engagement Programme for care-experienced youth.
• SOFEA Sessions Podcast Podcast focused on inspiring people through sharing lived experience of mental health and wellbeing, aiming to reduce stigma and help listeners feel connected to their communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 46% improvement in overall mental wellbeing after 3 months
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered major, secondary, minor and core.

• Brioche PasquiermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with international baker resulted in 25 tonnes of brioche rolls (50,000 meals) redistributed in 2024, saving 90 tonnes of carbon. Weekly supply of 40 trays of fresh brioches with over 25 days shelf life remaining.
• Illegal Money Lending TeamsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to raise awareness of loan sharks among Community Larder members. Team visited larders in Westcroft, Waterhall and Coffee Hall, presenting certificate of recognition to SOFEA.
• Peridot PartnersminorOthers · 1 January 2024Executive search firm conducting national recruitment campaign for new Chair of Trustees
• FareSharecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOFEA is part of FareShare's national network of food redistributors, operating as local distributor for Thames Valley and South Midlands regions. Access surplus food from food industry and distribute through Community Larders and to other charitable organisations.
• MK CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership for 16-19 Study Programmes including GCSE English and Maths provision
• Activate LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner for 16-19 Study Programmes and Back on Track programme
• NHS Oxford Health TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWellbeing partnership for CAMHS and mental health support services
• Didcot Primary Care NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with GP surgeries for Social Prescribing. Link workers work with Woodlands Medical Centre, Oak Tree Health Centre and Didcot Health Centre. GP appointments decreased by 45-53% following intervention.
• Age UK OxfordshirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Social Prescribing service at Didcot GP surgeries
• Terrence Higgins Trust/iCaSHsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSexual health services initiative providing services to 13-24 year olds through Community Larders in Milton Keynes
• Acorn Community BanksecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlternative lending partner offering membership scheme with £2 sign-up and loans for those rejected by conventional banks, to prevent vulnerable people resorting to loan sharks
• Oxfordshire City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting Community Larder operations in Oxfordshire
• South Oxfordshire District CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting Community Larder operations in South Oxfordshire
• Christ's HospitalsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentoring partnership for wellbeing coaching and mentoring
• Response/Oxford HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAMHS partnership for mental health support services
• YPSAsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhysical fitness partnership supporting wellbeing programmes
• DWPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for employability programmes through Department for Work and Pensions
• EMBSsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for employability programmes
• OxLEPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership for employability programmes
• Pathways 4 RecoverysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for South Midlands employability programmes
• Thames Valley PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoaching and mentoring partnership for young people through police funding

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• WRAP: UK climate action NGO working across the food system to reduce food waste and its carbon impact. Comparable to SOFEA's environmental impact narrative (1,853 tonnes diverted, 90 tonnes of carbon prevented) and to its role as an ecosystem convener.

Emerging players

• Olio: UK food-sharing app connecting neighbours and businesses to share surplus food. Addresses overlapping food waste and food poverty themes via a digital peer-to-peer model versus SOFEA's physical charity-led redistribution and education stack.

Direct peers

• The Bread and Butter Thing: UK social enterprise redistributing surplus food via affordable membership-based hubs. Closely comparable to SOFEA's Community Larder subscription model in particular, with similar low-cost weekly membership pricing and surplus sourcing.
• The Real Junk Food Project: UK movement intercepting surplus food to create pay-as-you-feel community cafés and food sharing. Comparable in its use of surplus food to address food insecurity and its community-building ethos alongside SOFEA's wraparound services.
• Magic Breakfast: UK charity providing healthy breakfasts and food education to children at school. Comparable in tackling food poverty through charity infrastructure and the educational/health outcomes framing that also underpins SOFEA's wellbeing and education work.
• Alexandra Rose Charities: UK charity running fruit and veg voucher programmes (Rose Vouchers) for low-income families with young children. Comparable mission of addressing food poverty through structured, non-stigmatising access mechanisms, though focused on vouchers rather than physical redistribution.
• FoodCycle: UK charity combining surplus food with community meals and conversation programmes to tackle food poverty and loneliness. Highly comparable to SOFEA's food-plus-support model, though focused on cooked community meals rather than larders and youth education.

Broad incumbents

• The Trussell Trust: UK's largest food bank network operating emergency food parcels across the country. Comparable in core mission (tackling food poverty via charity infrastructure) but operates a different distribution model (emergency parcels vs SOFEA's subscription Community Larders and B2B redistribution).
• FareShare: National UK food redistribution network of which SOFEA is a regional member. FareShare sources surplus food from supermarkets and redistributes via regional charities including SOFEA, making it both an upstream supplier and the closest direct network counterpart.

Regional players

• City Harvest London: London-focused food redistribution charity rescuing surplus food and delivering to charities and schools. Operates a near-identical FareShare-style redistribution model to SOFEA but is geographically restricted to London.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sofeauk
• Facebookfacebook.com/SOFEAUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sofea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SOFEA