Boy spends three years in tent, earns world record $1.5m for charity

Max Woosey, has spent the last 3 years in a tent for his charity sleepover. Photo / Aaron Chown, Getty Images

Max Woosey got in the tent as a 10-year-old from Devon, UK, and has emerged three years later as a Guinness World Record holder for his contributions to charity.

The “Boy in the Tent” has spent every night under canvas since February 2020. His epic camping trip has taken him from Southwest England to London Zoo and the garden of the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street and back again.

Though most of his nights have been spent pitched at the end of the family garden.

Woosey, 13, began camping inspired by a family friend who died of cancer to raise donations for the North Devon Hospice. He subsequently went on to camp in his garden throughout a pandemic and break the Guinness World Record for the most money raised by camping.

By March he had raised £750,000 ($1.48 million) for the hospice.

“It’s been the best three years of my life,” he told BBC news.

The money was donated in memory of Rick Abbot, the family’s neighbour who died in February 2020.

“The North Devon Hospice took such good care of him I wanted to do something to say thank you to them.”

It’s not been one long holiday.

Since 2020 Woosey has gone through fifteen tents, one of which collapsed on him during a storm.

“Any time we mentioned him stopping there would be tears and tantrums,” said his mother, Rachel.

Initially his family worried about letting him camp out and how young he was but Woosey was determined, spending even Christmasses in a tent.

Having originally set his fundraising goal at £100, the camping trip has wildly exceeded anyone’s expectations.

Last year he was presented a medal, from the Queen.

However Max has made the decision to up stakes and end his record setting campout. His final night will be spent in a sleeping bag on April 1 at a local charity music festival.