Best intentions!
Max, 11, camps out for year to raise £350k for hospice
Many 11-year-old boys would be thrilled at the idea of spending a night in a tent.
Max Woosey, however, has taken it to the extreme as he’s camped in his garden for a year to raise money for charity.
He was given the tent by his neighbour Rick abbott, who died last year aged 74. Mr abbott told the schoolboy to have an adventure with it – and that is exactly what Max did.
He slept in it in his family’s back garden in Braunton, Devon, every night since March 27 last year. This included over Christmas, his birthday and through Storm Bella in December.
and his efforts have paid off as he has so far raised over £350,000 for the north Devon Hospice, which cared for Mr abbott in his final days. Max said: ‘I thought I’d do it for a week or two and then the event led on even further.’ He will end his challenge this weekend but for his final night today, he has encouraged children around the world to join him for Max’s Big Camp Out, which is raising awareness for children’s mental health issues during the pandemic.
His mother Rachael Woosey said: ‘I have to stop and pinch myself to take in just how big this has become. Max started out with the intention of raising a few pounds.
‘But to mark a year in his tent he decided he’d like to raise awareness of children’s mental health during lockdown. He’s doing this for all those children who have found lockdown so tough.’ Max has received video messages of support from his heroes Bear Grylls and Jonny Wilkinson. He said: ‘I couldn’t believe it. I watch all Bear Grylls’ stuff and I love rugby.’
The youngster – who has two sisters abigail, 25, and Isobel, 22, who no longer live at home – has gone through several tents due to bad weather. and there were ‘a few nights when I cried myself to sleep because all my gear was soaking wet’, Max said.
His father Mark Woosey, a Royal Marine, said the challenge had brought out his son’s ‘steely determination’
To donate visit www.justgiving. com/fundraising/max-woosey1