A 12-year-old Devon boy who has slept outside in a tent for more than 600 days is the youngest person ever to be awarded a British Empire Medal. 

Max Woosey from Braunton in North Devon receives a BEM in The Queen’s New Year’s Honours for services to fundraising for the North Devon Hospice during Covid-19.

It was at the age of 10 that Max decided to camp out for lockdown to raise money for the North Devon Hospice which had cared for his 74 year-old neighbour Rick Abbott. Rick sadly died of cancer in March 2020.  

Before he died Rick (74) gifted Max his tent, telling him to make sure he had an adventure in it - and he did. 

Max’s initial fundraising goal was £100 and he initially planned to camp outside until he reached that target.

However, having discovered a taste for camping and fundraising, he then quickly exceeded the first fundraising goal and decided to camp out for a year.

His camping has not just been in the back garden of the family home. Max has camped out at an exotic list of locations, including London Zoo, 10 Downing Street and Twickenham, the home of rugby, Max being a rugby fan.

To-date Max has raised more than £680,000 for the North Devon Hospice, the money raised paying for almost 20 community nurses who support the community of North Devon with some of the most rurally remote areas in England.

Max’s father Mark recently said the whole family was "blown away" by the amount raised.

Mr Woosey said it had been "a joy" to see his son mature and grow with the experience of his fundraising.

Max has camped out for more than 600 nights since he started in March 2020.

To celebrate overcoming a year of Covid, Max organised a worldwide campout for children. This saw nearly 2,000 children around the world marking his efforts by joining him in camping out. He used the one-year anniversary to raise awareness that many children across the globe have found lockdown and Covid tough to cope with. 

Max has appeared on global news stations such as NBC, BBC, Sky News and ITV. He has also been recognised by news agencies in India, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. 

He has received numerous awards such as a gold Blue Peter badge, Point of Light Award, a Young Citizen of the Year Award by the Rotary Club of Braunton, a Pride of Britain Award (The Spirit of Adventure award), The Melvin Jones Fellowship (one of the highest awards a person can receive in recognition of their service to the community from Lions International) and an Unsung Hero Award from Chief Scout, Bear Grylls. 

Max joined Scouting in 2015 just before his eighth birthday, as a Beaver Scout with the 1st Chivenor Scout Group and has progressed through the Cub Pack and is now in the Scout Troop. 

In 2020 he achieved the Chief Scout Silver Award, the top award for Cub Scouts, the Bronze Welsh Dragon Award and a County Commissioner Commendation specifically for his fundraising work for the North Devon Hospice.

Next year Max is planning to hold a second big campout on Exmoor with fellow winners from the Pride of Britain awards to inspire others to enjoy the great outdoors.

To support Max in his fundraising, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/max-woosey1 .

Speaking about the BEM Max said: ‘I still can’t quite believe it, it’s been tough some nights but I’m glad I’ve kept going.

‘I’m just glad that I have been able to raise money for the North Devon Hospice who are the real heroess.’

His mother, Rachel Woosey, said: ‘We are so incredibly proud of Max. He has been out there in all weathers and has braved storms, Covid and all kinds of bugs in the tent but has never once given up or so much as complained.

‘To get a British Empire Medal for kindness and his spirit of adventure is simply awesome.’