Perry Fowler was found dead in his bedroom at his family's Port Seton home in June.

Now his parents, Keith, 44, and Debbie, 46, have decided to found the Perry Fowler Trust in memory of their 24-year-old son. Work has started on a website for families seeking advice on drug and alcohol abuse.

Mr Fowler explained: "What we are setting out to do is tell people about drug and alcohol awareness and support groups. We want to get people talking about it and let them know there is support."

As well as the website offering help, advice and support on any issue concerning drugs for children and parents, the couple plan to start a support group in Port Seton.

The Fowlers also hope to target ten to 13-year-olds directly through schools and youth centres to teach them about the dangers of drugs, using a presentation on Perry's life.

They hope to officially launch the foundation just after what would have been Perry's 25th birthday on April 29 next year, with a special music festival on May 1.

Perry, the eldest of the Fowlers' three children, went to Cockenzie Primary and then Preston Lodge High School. He was a talented artist and loved sport. He played snooker and golf, and was told by a coach he had the potential to become a Commonwealth Games contender in weightlifting.

But at the age of 13, the happy-go-lucky youngster's life was changed forever. He was attacked by two boys near his home at Meadowmills Sports Centre, beaten and shot seven times with an air gun. The attack brought back memories of another traumatic event in his life – he was raped at the age of eight, but kept the secret until he was 15.

When he was 14, Perry's parents discovered he had been introduced to cannabis and started appealing for help for their son.

Mr Fowler said: "Drugs were used to mask the severe trauma that Perry suffered and the problems he would not talk about. Perry did the 'man' thing, thinking he could cope and using the drugs to mask the pain to help him, or so he thought."

As Perry's addiction continued to dominate his life, and his drug use escalated to heroin, his parents grew ever more desperate for help but struggled to find the support they needed.

The couple believe the only way to stop more young people becoming addicts is for proper support for families like them, starting with the website they want to put online as a one-stop-shop for people looking for advice on drug or alcohol addiction.

Mr Fowler, a joiner, and Mrs Fowler, who works in the accounts department for a glazing firm, are juggling work responsibilities with trying to get the trust up and running with the help of their two daughters, Rebecca, 18 and Victoria, 15.

Tickets for a fundraising auction for the trust on Saturday have already sold out and a host of other fundraising events, including a sponsored walk and a concert, are planned for the new year.