Melbourne Man Raises £50,000 for Charity by Giving Up Sex for a Year for a Bet

A Melbourne man gave up sex for a year as a bet and raised £50,000 for charity.

Tired of the living the single life and the lacklustre dating scene that comprised bed-hopping and one night stands, Peter Lynagh made a bet with a friend that he could abstain from sex for a year.

"I was going to give up women and sex... He (my housemate) said I couldn't even go a week, then this got me wound up even more," Mr Lynagh explained.

After making the bet for $2000 Lynagh realised he could use it as an opportunity to raise some money for charity.

"I had a flash of inspiration that I could give that money to the charity, make it bigger than me," said the 33-year-old.

After posting a Facebook post with the novel idea, the campaign titled 'Pete's Chastity for Charity' was launched.

The rules required that, for an entire year from the 1st of January 2013, Mr Lynagh, wasn't allowed to jump into bed with anyone at all, though kissing was permissible.

He pledged to give all funds raised to Australian charity Free to Shine, an organisation which aims to save young Cambodian girls from the sex trade and provide them with an education.

He described the whole experience as 'a roller-coaster emotionally' and admitted he nearly lapsed in the first few months of the experiment.

"No one thought I could do it... I nearly came really close to breaking it, I started seeing a girl and I don't know why," he confessed. "I think she was just enjoying the fact I wasn't trying to get in her pants. That was a turning point, I just said I really had to take it seriously."

Mr Lynagh described the following months as a journey of self-discovery. After shifting the focus from his sex life, he decided to find out how the money raised from his abstinence would be spent.

In September he embarked on a life changing trip to Cambodia to witness the work of the Free to Shine charity.

With the money raised by him, the organisation was able to employ extra workers on the ground and double the amount of girls it looked after. "Once I'd seen what was happening, it was really humbling," Mr Lynagh said.

Following the success of his first charitable endeavour, Mr. Lynagh said he has long-term ambitions to start a charity of his own.

He is currently supporting The Big Umbrella project, a joint effort with The Father Bob Maguire Foundation with promotes anti-slavery and rehabilitation programs in Nepal.

He also made a trip to Kathmandu, where he launched a fundraiser to provide orphaned street children with brand new soccer gear.

While he is now committed to dedicating his time to raise funds for charity, Mr Lynagh said he wouldn't go without sex for so long again.

"I don't think I would do no sex again for a year, I would like to something else crazy and out there and different. If anyone can think of anything else crazy or quirky, I'm open to suggestions."