On Saturday 6th September, David Warburton, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Frome, sealed former Rifleman Terry Williams into a 10ft shipping container for a unique fundraising challenge.
Terry Williams will remain inside the sealed box for 18 days, or 453 hours – one hour for each soldier killed in Afghanistan. He is doing this in a bid to raise £80,000 for the Rifles Regiment Trust, who provide welfare and support for fallen and injured service people and their families .
Sited in Cheddar Woods Holiday Park, the 10ft steel shipping container is fitted with a bed, desk, toilet, sink, hob, and enough food to last for 18 days. Nothing can pass into the box except running water, and nothing except waste water can come out.
Terry is equipped with email, plus internet access limited to just Facebook for 20 mins each day. There is also a webcam providing a live feed to document his time spent in solitary confinement. Live images are being broadcast on the website www.maninabox.org.uk and messages of support can be emailed to Terry during his challenge.
The Rifles Regiment Trust Care for Casualties Appeal raises money to support the families and carers of those fallen and wounded in active service in Afghanistan. Donations to Terry’s appeal can be made at www.justgiving.com/man-in-a-box
David Warburton said, “I take my hat off to Terry. His Man in a Box challenge is such a powerful way to bring home the sense of loneliness of a soldier both in conflict and on returning home. It’s an incredible endurance challenge and I’m proud to support such a great cause. I just hope that when I let him out again on the 24th, he’ll still be in one piece!
“Terry has a tough 18 days ahead of him, but he’s really bringing into focus the incredible hardship our soldiers face when they’re in a conflict zone far from home, often with pretty basic amenities and very limited contact with their family and friends.”
David Warburton will be releasing Terry from his Man In A Box challenge at 11.00am on Wednesday 24th September, to the cheers of many military personnel and a full military bugle call.