Charity awarded £100k to expand technology project

Reilly Allen at Sofea handing a laptop to Jane Tyndall, of Cholsey Volunteers

A charity has won £100,000 in funding to help it refurbish phones and computers for those who cannot afford to buy devices.

Sofea, based in Didcot, Oxfordshire, was awarded the grant from the Time After Time fund, created by Virgin Media O2 and environmental charity Hubbub.

The charity set up a project during the pandemic to help provide technology devices for those who needed them most and reduce Oxfordshire’s e-waste.

Ben Tuppen, Sofea project manager, said the grant would help “to refurbish more than 1,500 devices” for people across the community.

Ben Tuppen, Project Manager at Sofea, said the grant would help refurbish 1,500 devices

The aim of the project is to tackle the "digital divide" while reducing e-waste by refurbishing and rehoming donated devices.

Sofea was selected as one of eight funding recipients from more than 120 entries by a panel of judges which included TV presenter and environmentalist George Clarke.

Ben Tuppen, from Sofea said "We’re dependent on funders like this to continue our vital work"

The project also aims to provide tools and internet access that allows people to more easily find employment and complete schoolwork.

Mr Tuppen said: “Our project provides free devices for the most in need in our community and we’re dependent on funders like this to continue our vital work.

“This grant has helped secure our service for the next year, aiming to refurbish more than 1,500 devices and provide them to people across our community.”

Gavin Ellis, co-founder of Hubbub, said: "There is an abundance of smart devices in households and businesses that have a potential to help the estimated 1.5 million households digitally disconnected get online.”

“These projects will tackle digital exclusion through research, training and the redistribution of devices and continue to raise awareness about the issues of e-waste and digital inclusion.”