A Tesco worker has decided to not speak to any customers at work for the next three months.
Lee Clark, who works in a branch of Tesco in Southend-on-Sea, says he will be giving the silent treatment to all customers and colleagues.
Lee is usually "noisy and chatty" but his silence vow is for a very good cause.
He is being sponsored to be silent while on shift to raise money for Cancer Research, British Heart Foundation, and Diabetes UK.
The father-of-five started his silence at the beginning of January and will finish on April 10. Instead of speaking, Lee is communicating with flashcards, pens, and paper.
Speaking to Manchester Evening News, Lee said: "It could be quite draining because you try not to slip up and try to focus."
"It can be a horrible experience but, again, I'm lucky I can put myself in that position to help someone else and I'll happily do that every single time."
Lee said that knowing he is doing something good for those charities gets him through it because it can be "a very lonely place" and can make him feel "quite isolated".
The Tesco worker has worked at the supermarket chain for 16 years, and this will be his 15th year doing a sponsored silence.
He first decided to remain silent after being referred to as the "singing man on the tills."
Lee raised £800 for the Lennox Lewis Cancer Fund in that very first nine-hour silent shift.
"It was phenomenal because I've never done anything like that in my life before, so it really got me."
He said, "It gave me the bug for fundraising as well. I just saw the response as well as the love and support it brought."
Lee explained that people would come into his branch of Tesco to see him be silent and donate to the bucket, saying it was "a brilliant experience."
"I saw the difference it makes to people and that's what I never experienced before. You're helping someone and they're helping you, there is no better feeling than that."
He added: "I love giving."
Lee has participated and organised in over 100 charity events in the last 15 years, raising around £178,000 for 32 different charities.
Tesco is very supportive of Lee's fundraising and supports his challenge on its social media platforms.
He also believes it provides a sense of fun and laughter to his colleagues and shoppers.
While working, Lee hangs a board around his neck to explain what he is doing and who he is raising money for.
"It's my 15th one, so it's quite an achievement in that sense and no one gets bored of it. They love me being quiet."
But, some people think at first they he's "being rude" but quickly change their minds when they see the sign.
Lee says this fundraising event is his "worst one" compared to others he's participated in because he "gets frustrated" that he can't talk.
"It is the worst thing in the world when you just want to blurt out and join in their conversation," he said.
After his shift is over, he is happy to be able to speak because he loves talking.
In addition to his sponsored silence, Lee will also be running the London Marathon and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro this year to raise money for charity.
"Anything you raise is something more than you had yesterday, so it doesn't matter what you raise," Lee added.
