Mother launches music festival in memory of son

Jackson Peacock died in an accident in Hastings last September

The mother of a man who died in a fall on Hastings seafront has organised a music festival in Bexhill-on-Sea in his memory.

Jackson Peacock died at the age of 21 last September.

His mother, Kate Flett, has organised JackoFest to raise money for child-bereavement charities.

Ms Flett, who wrote about her son's death in what she described as a freak accident, tweeted: "My beautiful, funny, brilliant son Jackson died in an accident and now I have made a music festival to celebrate what should’ve been his 22nd birthday."

Jackofest is taking place at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill

“We’re celebrating his life in a way I really feel he would really appreciate,” she said. “I feel my son’s metaphorical hand on my shoulder saying ‘go on, you’ve got this’.”

About 1,000 people gathered at the event on Saturday, including Mr Jackson’s younger brother, friends and family.

All the profits were being donated to The Compassionate Friends and the Good Grief Project.

“Losing a child is the worst thing you could possibly ever imagine,” Ms Flett said. “It’s a very lonely place to be.”

She said supporting the charities was important to show bereaved parents they were not alone.

Her son had graduated from university and had ambitions to work in technology in the future.

Ms Flett said: "Jackson was someone who lived it large, and he said he’d had the best summer he’d ever had.

“His idea of a good time was being at a music festival, with a beer in his hand, surrounded by his mates. That’s why we’re doing this.”

Dan Brooks, manager of Brook's Bar, where Mr Peacock had worked, and which was providing catering for the festival, described his former employee as energetic and full of life.

He said: "He was one of those people who would just light the room up.”