A 13-year-old fundraiser has raised more than £1,000 for the homelessness charity Emmaus UK after camping in his garden for more than a year.
Billy began sleeping in his family’s garden on 17 July 2022 after he was given a teepee for his birthday. He originally aimed to spend 100 nights outdoors and raise £150 for the charity.
Four seasons, five tents and one lawn later, Billy has smashed his target, Emmaus UK said in a statement.
The charity said that Billy hopes to beat the record set by “the boy in the tent”, Max Woosey, who spent three years camping outside and raised more than £700,000 for North Devon Hospice.
Yuen Chu, fundraising officer at Emmaus UK, praised Billy for both exceeding his original fundraising target and going “above and beyond in this sleep out challenge to raise awareness of homelessness”.
“It was fantastic to still have donations coming in as he carried on after his first 100 days, which then turned into a full year. This is a brilliant achievement. He’s done himself proud,” said Chu.