When a former lorry driver from Harlesden met a resident on TV documentary Benefit Street he had no idea it would change his way of thinking for ever.
The chance meeting has driven Mac Ferrari-Guy to launch a campaign to crackdown on youth crime with the help of his £9,000 prized Six-series BMW car.
The 31-year-old, who grew up in High Street, has driven across the country and collected more than 6,000 signatures on his vehicle which he plans to auction off to raise funds for a project to keep vulnerable children away from the clutches of street life.
During his travels to cities such as Birmingham and Milton Keynes he has persuaded a string of celebrities to sign his car – including hip-hop rap star Dappy,
His “The Write Off” campaign was kick-started after he met Samora Roberts, best known as “Black Dee” of the Channel Four documentary about benefit claimants living in James Turner Street in Birmingham.
He said: “She told me that they are not the ones that need help but it’s the youths who need it. This is not a gimmick, it’s a passion.
“A lot of our children feel oppressed; a lot feel like they can’t talk to anybody.”
Just two weeks into the crusade, Mr Ferrari-Guy’s mission is turning heads.
He said: “Everyone looks and at first they think my car has been vandalised. After that they asked me why I’m doing it. I have not had one negative comment about it. Everyone thinks it’s great.”
“It is a visible petition that represents how communities feel. We need to do more for these youths.”
Mr Ferrari-Guysaid: “I have a teenage relative who is getting into of trouble. I don’t want him to go down that road and I can’t be there 24 hours a day to help keep him off the streets. We need more youth centres and more passionate teachers to help our youngsters.”
The former Kingsbury High School pupil, has rejected offers of £25,000 from people who want to get their hands on his car, opting instead for an auction later this year.
The money he raises will go towards opening more youth centre across the capital, and in the formation of new boot camp-style session, designed to educate children involved in gangs and drugs on the dangers of their current lifestyle.
“I’m hoping that this could be an annual event,” he said. “We want footballers to chip-in and buy a luxury car, take it all over Britain to be signed and sold off to help promote the cause.”
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