A single dad from Irlam has made a desperate bid to replace his almost 20-year-old car due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Marc Patry, 37, says that although his 2004 Fiat Punto is MOT-approved, its age and underlying issues means he feels unsafe travelling to work and with his young daughter.
He has now made the desperate decision to start up a fundraiser on GoFundMe with a target of £1,500 to cover the costs of a new vehicle.
The CCTV operator, who uses his car to travel to work around Salford said: “It’s an old car, it’s had a wire fire inside the passenger door. I’m worried if anybody hits it there could be a lot of damage. It just makes me nervous because I can feel it losing power every now and then.”
Marc says he is unable to take his six-year-old daughter to visit his dad, her grandfather, in Rochdale due to the car’s lack of reliability. He added: “The last thing I want to do is put [my daughter] in something that could be a risk. It plays on my mind constantly.”
Despite working nearly 50 hours a week, Marc also struggles to afford food and heating. He said: “With the heating bills and stuff paid I’m usually left with about £30-£40 at the end of the month.
“I don’t go on nights out, I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I don’t really leave my flat. I don’t do much and that’s because I’m constantly worried I’m not going to have enough money to afford anything.”
Marc explained how the idea to start up a GoFundMe was entirely spontaneous and a last resort. He said: “I’ve seen people raise money for boob jobs, all sorts of weird stuff – and people seem to donate to it. I thought – I can’t borrow money, I’m not in a position financially to take on more debt.
“[The fundraiser] wasn’t planned. I just sort of made it and posted it before realising I might get a bit of stick for it. But I saw no other option at the time and I still don’t, if I’m honest.”
Marc, who said he feels ‘guilty’ for resorting to fundraising, has had some support from those close to him. “I rang two of my friends, one of them is the only person who has donated. My other friend didn’t have the money to and that’s fine. But, on the phone to them, I was in tears”, he said.
“I’ve not really shared it that much because I feel so uncomfortable doing it. I’ve shared it to the people that I trust and I’ve spoken to them first, but I haven’t gone all out on Facebook or anything else.”
Marc hopes to shed light on the realities of what people are going through with the current cost of living crisis. Tearfully, he added: “If you want to live a reasonable life, you’ve got to be earning more which is why so many people have side hustles now – you see people with two or three jobs.
“I don’t have internet in my flat. I very rarely put the TV on; at the moment I’m sat freezing cold because I can’t put the heating on.
“I’m hoping people will realise it doesn’t matter how hard you work sometimes, there’s always something standing in the way. I’m hoping people who have been in a similar position and found a way through it see [the fundraiser].
“They don’t even have to donate, they can just get in touch and tell me ‘It’s gonna be okay, you’re going to get through this.’ If I can bring a little bit of attention to me then people can realise it is the people who work full-time and not just those on the dole struggling.
“There are people with reasonable jobs that pay reasonably well, but everybody’s stuck in the same boat.”
Marc admitted to being apprehensive about how he will afford Christmas this year. “I’m working Christmas Day. So, whatever happens, at least I’ll be in a warm, safe place”, he said. “Regarding presents for my daughter, I’ve had to go halves with my dad…that’s all she’s getting.
“I’ve not even thought about presents for anyone else, or what I’m going to do for food. Usually if I’m working, I’ll nip out and grab something but nothing is going to be open on Christmas Day.
“I can’t take my daughter places, it’s really hard. I can have her round to my flat, that’s fine, but even then, if I want to take her to see the lights in Blackpool [for Christmas] there’s no way I can do it.”
In the event that Marc exceeds his GoFundMe target, he plans to donate what remains to a men’s mental health charity or food bank.
If you’re able to donate towards Marc’s car, you can do so here.
Recent Comments