THE last time Phillip Backway slept under canvas he was in the Scouts.

This summer the 36-year-old will be honing his survival skills when he spends three days as a castaway on an inhospitable island to raise money for Sue Ryder.

He’ll be leaving wife Samantha and daughters Imogen, nine and Megan, six, at home in Swindon and learning how to build a shelter, stalk animals, light fires and cook Aboriginal-style with a group of fellow adventurers led by former Royal Marines.

Philip is taking on the challenge in memory of his mum Paulette who died in April 2011 after suffering cancer of the womb.

“She fought it in 2010. She won that time, then in 2011 it came back with a vengeance,” he said.

She had been in the hospice at Leckhampton for respite care. Although her family knew she was seriously ill, none of them knew how close to death she was and were devastated when she died.

“They gave us a lot of emotional support afterwards. There was counselling, there were chaplains we could talk to for quite a while afterwards. It was quite a hard time and they never asked for anything in return.”

Phillip, who grew up in Malmesbury, had applied several times to take part in the TV survival show The Island with Bear Grylls when he spotted the Endurance Island challenge on the charity’s Facebook page and pounced on it.

His last experience with the great outdoors was a Scout weekend in the grounds of Burton Hill House School many years ago.

The Endurance Island adventurers are taken out by fast boat to Flat Holm in the Bristol Channel and left to the tender mercies of their military instructors in unpredictable weather conditions.

“You can only take five things with you so I’m looking for suggestions at the moment,” said Phillip. “Toilet roll is something I’m definitely going to be taking. I’m going to try to avoid taking the obvious things like matches and knives because there are going to be 20 people there and hopefully we can share.

“It’s going to be a hard challenge, not just physically. It is going to be a hard challenge emotionally. I’m expecting it to make me think about why I’m there.”

One thing they have been promised is that they won’t have to eat bugs or worms, although they will be shown examples of what is edible and can try them if they want.

Visit justgiving.com/P-Backway to sponsor him.

Phillip and his family are working to raise the £1,000 sponsorship needed to take part in the challenge. He has already raised around £350 and will be collecting more at this weekend’s Dauntsey car boot sale.