British Empire Medal for Braunton's Max Woosey in New Year's Honours

A 12-year-old Braunton school boy has become the youngest person ever to receive a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.Â

Max Woosey, the Boy in the Tent, has raised more than £650,000 for local charity North Devon Hospice.Â

The British Empire Medal or BEM is a British and Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown.

11-year-old Max’s camping adventures started when he began sleeping in his garden in Devon after his neighbour Rick, who later died of cancer, gave him a tent to ‘have an adventure in’.Â

Less than month after Rick died, the world was plunged into chaos with coronavirus lockdowns. Max and his family immediately knew that North Devon Hospice would suffer.Â

This concern prompted young Max started his sponsored camp-out, hoping to raise £100 for the hospice. Pitching Rick’s tent in his garden, he pledged to sleep outside until lockdown was over. At the time, most thought it would be a matter of weeks.

More than 650 nights later and Max is still going, inspiring people in North Devon and across the globe. Â

Max’s challenge has led him to appear on news channels such as BBC, NBC, ITV and Sky News, as well as being written about as far afield as Singapore and New Zealand.  Â

Max has also received many awards and commendations, 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 Melvin Jones Fellowship from Lions International and an Unsung Hero Award from Chief Scout Bear Grylls.

The chief executive of North Devon Hospice, Stephen Roberts, said of Max: “Every single plaudit that comes his way is totally deserved. And to think it all started from that one moment, when the hospice team came to visit his neighbour. Sometimes life offers you small opportunities that could lead to big things. Be like Max, and seize those opportunities with both hands.�