Man is 'proof that anything is possible' after 'difficult childhood'

A man had a “difficult” childhood but one thing inspired him to get through it.

Jack Meakin, 24, from Runcorn, feels there was one thing that kept him going through a challenging childhood. Speaking to the ECHO, Jack said: “I was a child in care. I moved around a lot. Music really got me through the difficult times.

“Some of my family are quite musical. When I was about 13 or 14, someone introduced me to NEC in Birmingham.” The NEC Birmingham is the UK's No 1 venue for shows, exhibitions, meetings and events.

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Inspired by a DJ show he saw at the NEC, Jack bought his own equipment and set about working his way up. He said: “Networking massively helped. At first, I was having to pay to do everything - pay for Ibiza, pay to go to other events around the city. Now it's really starting to pay off.”

Jack soon teamed up with his friend and fellow DJ Seb James to create Scaramouche, the name he now performs under. He said: “I've done DJ competitions in Runcorn and in Liverpool. From there it was doing mixes. Scaramouche was an events brand first of all. When I got introduced to Cream, I decided to take that brand and I really wanted to do the most of it. It really worked from there.”

The pair made their Creamfields debut in 2021 and haven’t looked back since. As well as further performances at Creamfields, they have provided the soundtrack for raves in Yorkshire and parties in Ibiza.

Jack now regularly visits other children in care to talk about his experiences growing up. He feels it is rare for those growing up in the system to hear stories such as his.

Jack said: “Not enough people talk about it. I’m now in a much better situation. Don't get me wrong, it wasn’t all plain sailing, especially with me moving all around the north west. There’s been a few times when I didn’t feel like it was going to happen but I've kept at it. I'm gifted with my musical talent. You can't give up. As much as sometimes you feel like it, just keep going.

“I'm quite open and honest. I have gone round to children's homes and have spoken to young people. I've said to them, I’m proof, that if you keep going, that anything is possible.

“You've got to find your own sound. Hard work does pay off. There’s a lot of kids from care who don’t like speaking about that. I'm the total opposite.”

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