It was supposed to be just an appearance on a reality TV show about helping people on a deprived estate.

However, for businesswoman Hilary Devey it has become a life-changing experience.

The 51-year-old, who worked on a project to keep youngsters off the streets in an episode of Channel Four's Secret Millionaire, now wants to do more charity work – starting in Leicester.

Hilary, who owns Pall-Ex, in Ellistown, spent 10 days living in the Falinge Estate, in Rochdale, for the show.

During her stay, the self-made millionaire was involved with the Back Door Project, a scheme which aims to keep youngsters off the street by getting them involved in music.

She now plans to set up a similar centre for 11 to 20-year-olds, in Leicester, but needs to find a building to house the project first.

Hilary said: "I saw what the Back Door Project was doing for the kids in Rochdale and now I want to bring it to Leicester, and I know it sounds corny, but I want to give something back.

"My aim is to make it a multicultural scheme where black, white and Asian kids can all come and use the facilities together.

"I want to get it up and running by April this year.

"I know it is ambitious but nothing is impossible – the main obstacle is securing somewhere to base it."

She said that helping her own son through drug addiction inspired her to take part in the Channel Four show and later to bring the Back Door Project to Leicester.

The project will need volunteers to supervise the children and teach them about music production, performing and recording.

It should cost about £25,000 to set up and run for the first year.

Hilary's vision is to partly fund the centre by selling music made by the children.

She said: "My aim is to have a self-perpetuating scheme where the kids will perform, record and then burn their own CDs for distribution.

"This will hopefully go towards paying some of the running costs and give the children a productive focus at the same time."

The Secret Millionaire is a reality TV show in which wealthy people go incognito into impoverished communities and agree to give away tens of thousand of pounds to causes which impress them.

Members of the community are only told the cameras are present due to a documentary being filmed.

After living on the Faringe Estate in Rochdale, near Bolton, she gave £70,000 to the music charity.

Carol Moore, 54, founder member of the Back Door Project in Rochdale, said: "We wish her all the best and we will be helping out by coming down and speaking to interested volunteers and telling them how we have got where we are.

"Hilary's donation has meant that I can focus on the project full time now after 13 years as a volunteer, which means we are able to expand."

Hilary set up her distribution business, Pall-Ex, in Ellistown, 12 years ago after selling her car and her house to fund the venture.

Her company now has an annual turnover of £100 million and she has also won numerous business awards.