A WEST End boy has raised more than £35,000 for a food bank charity by sleeping in a tent in his garden for 1,000 nights.

The feat, in which 12-year-old Freddie Owen slept out in temperatures ranging from -10C to 35C, has earned him the title of Young Fundraiser of the Year from the Trussell Trust.

Freddie started the challenge on 27 March 2020, when he was nine, with the aim of sleeping out for a year and raising £250 for the Trussell Trust, the umbrella organisation for food banks across Britain, including Woking.

As the money kept coming in, Freddie extended the time he would continue and his fundraising target.

He was interviewed on ITV, by Chris Evans on Virgin Radio and on BBC Radio Surrey, which organised a message from Bear Grylls, the adventurer, TV presenter and Chief Scout.

Freddie started the challenge after seeing and reading news reports about the increasing use of food banks.

“Covid really did mess things up quite a lot,” he said.

“I just thought about the people who couldn’t pay for the food and how they were going to eat.

“I told my mum I wanted to help and when she found the Trussell Trust I immediately wanted to raise some money for them to continue their work on getting food to people in need.”

During the 1,000 nights sleeping outside Freddie got through six tents and moved around 100 times to different parts of the garden to shelter from the many storms.

“The snow wasn’t so bad because it insulates the tent but there is no avoiding the heat,” he said.

“The heat is horrible.”

Freddie said he got used to sleeping in the tent night after night.

“It felt a little bit more special during the first year. It felt good to reach the thousand nights but when I finally spent a night back inside it felt a bit underwhelming.”

Freddie said he was very grateful the Trussell Trust showed their appreciation by giving him an award and having the trophy will help him to raise awareness about food poverty.

“Raising awareness is really important because one boy in a tent isn’t going to stop poverty,” he said.

Several of his friends at Bishopsgate School in Englefield Green supported him by sleeping in tents or dens in their gardens.

Representatives from the Trussell Trust are to speak at a school assembly about the charity’s work and what the money Freddie has raised will help them do.

He said he will now take a break from fundraising but wants to help in the future in some way, possibly working for a charity.

“That would be something that could make a difference; and I would like to make a difference.”

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com and search for “Freddie Owen123”.