Packing it up Record-beating camper ends long fundraiser

When he began his camping adventure, Max Woosey imagined he would spend a few weeks sleeping in his new tent and raise a few hundred pounds for a good cause.

- Steven Morris

Three years on, after living through fierce winds, sub-zero temperatures and an awful lot of rain, 13-year-old Max’s efforts have earned more than three-quarters of a million pounds for a hospice and given him unexpected fame – but he has finally decided it is time to put a solid roof back over his head and clamber into a proper bed.

One reason for the keen rugby player’s decision is the realisation that a comfy bed may be a better option after he has been battered in training or a game. “I’ll probably get a better sleep inside and after a match you just want to get into bed and recover,” he said. “In a tent that doesn’t always happen.”

But Max said it was also about identity. He has become so synonymous with his sleeping arrangements that letters to “the boy in the tent, Braunton” reach him in north Devon.