A FORMER Yarmouth College student is hoping to achieve his acting ambition by winning a place at a prestigious drama school.Jarone Macklin-Page, 20, said his ambition had been fuelled by his difficult childhood after he was expelled from school aged 15.

A FORMER Yarmouth College student is hoping to achieve his acting ambition by winning a place at a prestigious drama school.

Jarone Macklin-Page, 20, said his ambition had been fuelled by his difficult childhood after he was expelled from school aged 15.

Now the 20-year-old actor is hoping to use his success to inspire others by setting up his own charity to teach valuable life skills to young people living in children's homes.

After a difficult time at home, Mr Macklin-Page moved into the Break children's home in Mundesley aged 14. By the age of 15, he had been expelled from school and it looked like his life was starting to spiral out of control.

He eventually found that acting was something he enjoyed and studied for a BTEC national diploma in performing arts at Yarmouth College before moving to London to train at the Italia Conti theatre school.

As well as working to make a living as an actor, he is now busy securing funding for his own charity, called Miracle Productions Project, so that he can set up drama projects in children's homes and run community programmes for at risk youths.

The schemes will see young people learn about acting, directing and writing and then use they new skills to create a piece of drama.

Mr Macklin-Page said: “The project will help to build self-esteem and confidence. It will also motivate the young people to get up, get involved and see that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.

“It is so important for me to do this, because I've been looking for a way to use what I've done and what I've learned to help youngsters from my background.”

He has already secured a �1,000 grant from the O2 It's Your Community fund to help pay for two pilot projects which will take place in Break homes and Heart foyers in Norfolk this autumn.

He said: “I want to show these young people that they can use their tough start in life as a strength to push them onwards through life and that they don't have to be isolated or feel stuck.

“The arts are a great way for people with problems to express themselves, and hopefully these projects will teach something without being too formal and show them how to make the right decisions in life.

“It's a massively ambitious project, but if I can do it, I really think I can change the future for these young people.”