BBCBilly Ramsay joined the Loki Boxing Club when he was 12 – nearly two years earlier than his older sister died of a drug overdose on the age of 17.
Shortly after, his mom – who additionally struggled with drug habit – was given a jail sentence.
His household was falling aside, however Billy discovered that boxing helped him “block everything” at a time when he desperately wanted stability.
He stated, “At the weekends I would go to boxing shows on Fridays and Saturdays, travel all over Scotland – and all my friends were out on the streets drinking and doing drugs and causing trouble.”
Now aged 34 and dealing as a joiner, Billy firmly believes the membership saved him.
It helped her make mates, gave her a spot to go after a tough day at college, and made her really feel a part of the membership household.
“This is where I came from, I was here all the time,” he stated.
“I could have gone either way – my whole family was drug-addled. I'm the only one who's actually functioning now.
“When you come back and tell people about your successes, you feel good about yourself, because you're actually doing something with your life.”
Lochee Boys & Girls Club has been training young boxers in Dundee since 1946 – organizers say they have seen many kids like Billy turn up on their doorstep.
The city is in the grip of a drug crisis and has the highest drug death rate in Scotland after Glasgow.
Lochees, west of Dundee, is also one of the most deprived communities in the country – a factor which means people are far more likely to die from drug abuse than in wealthier areas.
Club leader Derek Lynch is well aware of these problems, having boxed at Loki for 70 years – having joined the gym at the age of just five.
He has trained hundreds of youngsters from the area – many of whom are from disadvantaged families – and wants to ensure the sport remains accessible to them.
“If they can't afford the fees, we will pay them,” he said. “We don't want them to get into trouble on the side of the road or anything like that.
“The discipline in boxing is very good and every one of our boxers respects authority.”
The membership has produced plenty of proficient athletes lately, together with Commonwealth gold medalist Sam Hickey.
Demand is rising, however small health club halls can’t all the time accommodate the quantity of people that wish to be a part of and employees have to show individuals away as a final resort.
The membership's successes and challenges have been the topic of a latest brief documentary by filmmaker Scott Dee.
Meanwhile Derek has launched a fundraising marketing campaign to broaden the corridor, with the intention to preserve the membership within the “heart of Lochy”.
Reporting Scotland: Speaking to News at Seven, he recalled one night time when an older member, whom he had not seen for ten years, arrived on the membership – simply an hour after his spouse had given delivery to their child lady.
Overjoyed, the person wished to share his information with Derek – and with the membership that had as soon as meant a lot to him.
Derek stated: “You get thanked for what you do.”
With inputs from BBC
