He’s STILL camping! Boy, 12, who began sleeping in his back garden to raise money for charity in honour of his late friend is yet to return to his bedroom two years on as his total nears £600,000

• Max Woosey, 12, will mark two years under canvas at the end of this month – after he began camping in his back garden to raise money for a North Devon hospice 
• In more than 700 days since he began, he’s endured freezing temperatures and a broken tent after the recent storms but has now raised just shy of £600,000 
• He started sleeping outdoors to highlight the good work of his local hospice who supported his friend Rick Abbott when he was dying
• Mr Abbott gifted his tent to Max before his death, telling him ‘Promise me you’ll have your own adventures in it’

A 12-year-old boy who began sleeping in a tent in his back garden in 2020 to raise money for a local hospice after the death of a close friend has revealed he’s still under canvas – almost two years on. 

Max Woosey, from Braunton, started his outdoor adventure on March 29th 2020 – at the height of the first lockdown – when the then ten-year-old retreated into his back garden with a one-person tent to raise money for the North Devon Hospital which looked after his friend Rick Abbott. 

However, the money has kept pouring in for the schoolboy – his JustGiving page says he’s raised almost £600,000 so far – and he’s yet to make it back indoors to his own bedroom despite some tent-breaking weather.

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Still under the stars! Max Woosey, 12, from Braunton, will mark two years under canvas at the end of this month – after he began camping in his back garden to raise money for a hospice

A younger Max during his first weeks sleeping in his tent – given to him by his late friend Rick Abbot – he’s now endured 700 nights of going to bed outdoors

One year in: the youngster has seen a host of celebrities applauding his money-raising efforts including Carol Vorderman and Bear Grylls 

In three weeks’ time, the youngster will celebrate sleeping outdoors for two years -during which time he’s braved freezing temperatures in the middle of winter, and more recently, the howling winds of Storm Eunice and Storm Francis. 

Max told his 25,000 social media followers that he had to buy a new tent after the February gales – with winds of up to 50mph – broke his latest red and blue tent.      

Tweeting from his @BoyInTheTent account at the time, Max penned: ‘Wind 1. Tent 0. New tent time!’

His supportive mum, Rachael Woosey, revealed to ITV News afterwards that the family had contemplated Max moving indoors but her determined son was unperturbed by Mother Nature. 

She said: ‘We had his sisters round for dinner on Friday so he was a little late going to bed. When we went out we saw that one of the tent poles had snapped and so the tent had partially collapsed.

‘It was late, dark, windy and cold so I gave him the option of either coming inside or sleeping out in it. Sadly he chose the broken tent!’ 

While Max also braved the strong winds of Storm Eunice and Storm Francis last month, his tent wasn’t quite so hardy…and he’s had to replace it since

Max has raised the money for The North Devon Hospice, who cared for his late neighbour Rick (pictured) before he died 

New tent: Max was forced to ditch his blue and red tent after it was broken by the strong winds of Storm Eunice and Storm Francis

The family pet has even ventured outside to sleep alongside Max on his epic camping adventure 

The fund-raising effort under the stars began after Max wanted to help raise money for the hospice that had allowed Mr Abbott to pass away peacefully at home. 

Max’s friend was a keen adventurer, camper and outdoor sports enthusiast and shortly before dying he gave his tent over to Max and told him: ‘Promise me you’ll have your own adventures in it.’  

Max has spent birthdays, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve sleeping in his tent and encouraged other children from across the world to camp out in their garden for Max’s Big Camp Out in 2021. 

Celebrities including Bear Grylls and Carol Vorderman have supported the youngster in his efforts. 

In the New Year Honour’s list this year, he was awarded with the British Empire Medal for his efforts

His JustGiving page reads: ‘My name is Max, I am 12 years old and I am raising money for the North Devon Hospice because they looked after our friend and enabled him to pass peacefully at home with those closest to him which was his final wish. 

‘I have been camping out since 29th March 2020. My friend Rick gave me his tent before he died and made me promise to have an adventure so that’s what I’m doing.’ 

‘It will be great fun and they can choose to raise funds for their own chosen charity as well.’ 

In the New Year Honour’s list this year, he was awarded with the British Empire Medal for his fund-raising efforts. 

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