Richard is a Founder and CEO of SOFEA. Having spent 20 years teaching in senior roles in Oxfordshire Secondary schools, Richard left teaching set up and run programmes for disadvantaged young people in Oxfordshire.
SOFEA brings together three key elements of support for vulnerable and disadvantaged young people – formal academic qualifications, wellbeing and therapeutic support and real work skills and experience. As a food distribution operation in six years SOFEA has distributed thousands of tonnes of food, supported hundreds of young people and now employs 48 people, 27 of whom, have previously been trainees.
In 2019 SOFEA won the B4 Charity of the Year Award and the South and Vale Social Responsibility Award.