Ex-gang Member Turns Anti-knife Crusader After Friend’s Tragic Death‌ ‌

Carl Scott, the ex-gang member who turned his life around. Carl’s dysfunctional lifestyle saw him stabbed in the leg and spend multiple years in prison. TONY KERSHAW VIA SWNS.

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Meet the ex-gang member who turned his life around after a friend ‘died in his arms’ – and now runs anti-knife crime campaigns.

Carl Scott, 42, decided it was time to get on the straight and narrow after 22 years of drug and burglary-related crimes.

Carl had led a “pure dysfunctional lifestyle” – which saw him stabbed in the leg, watch his friend get stabbed to death, and spend multiple years in prison.

Carl left prison for the last time in 2013 and knew he wanted to make a change after meeting his partner, Karla, 32, co-owner of the Youth Project.

He began volunteering at a local drug and alcohol addiction service before he was offered a role as a coordinator four months later.

He also began helping police – who were looking for ex-gang members to lead talks to encourage others to take a different path.

Carl then went on to work at a youth project for the next two years in which he says he helped 77 people move away from knife crime and county lines.

After gaining valuable experience, Carl and Karla decided to set up Project Youth and they now run workshops in schools, install bleed control cabinets around Sussex, and do one-to-one mentoring.

Carl, from Hastings, Sussex, said: “I’ve led let’s say 22 years of just pure dysfunctional lifestyle, doing as I please.

“Karla was the only one making me see sense, showing me love and affection.

“I was in and out of prison and I had a heart of rock, I didn’t like anyone, I hated the world.