Secret Millionaire - Hilary Devey
A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE businesswoman who lives near Burton is to appear on a hit television series after giving away £160,000 of her personal fortune to community projects.
Hilary Devey is the founder and owner of Pall-Ex - a leading pallet distribution company - which employs around 400 people at its base in Ellistown, near Coalville, and many thousands more across the country.
Earlier this year, Ms Devey swapped her luxurious home in the Edward VII wing at Rangemore Hall to spend 10 days living in a run-down council flat in Rochdale, Lancashire.
The switch was for Channel 4 series The Secret Millionaire, in which millionaires live undercover in deprived areas to find individuals and projects they think deserve a slice of their fortune.
The experience saw Bolton-born mother-of-one Ms Devey return to her North West roots, albeit to a ‘grotty’ flat in one of the most depressed corners of that region.
Rochdale’s Falinge estate was dubbed the ’scrounging capital of the UK’ after a report on GMTV - broadcast two days before Ms Devey arrived there - claimed nearly 80 per cent of its residents were on benefits.
“There was what you would find on any inner-city estate - asylum-seekers, drug pushers and mass unemployment, but equally there were some really nice, honest, genuine people,” she said.
After finding work as a barmaid in a local pub, Ms Devey offered her services to voluntary groups including a cash-strapped community centre and a pioneering music project keeping youngsters off the streets.
She says her experience left her feeling only admiration for the group’s volunteers - all of whom were ignorant of her ’secret’ life.
“You couldn’t but admire them,” she said. “These people are working equally as hard as you or I, but for nothing.
“I have had problems with my own son in terms of drug abuse, and to me anything that can take kids off the street and channel them into something creative has to be a good thing.
“I was talking to people who attend these projects and they told me what it means to them. I spent a lot of time talking to these people and it gave me such a buzz.”
After her 10-day stint, Ms Devey chose three projects which will between them receive around £160,000 of her own money.
She says the receipients were ‘genuinely shocked’ when she revealed - in front of the television cameras - who she really was, although one lady said she had suspected something, telling her: “I didn’t think you could be on benefits because your nails are too manicured and your teeth are too white”.
Ms Devey says the recipients were ‘over the moon’ with the money they received, which will enable them to carry on their vital work in the community, while she also took something out of the experience.
“It was a bit like being Santa Claus,” she said. “I felt very privileged to take part and met some lovely people along the way.”
The Secret Millionaire will be screened on Channel 4 on Tuesday at 9pm.
September 15th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Hilary Devey i thought was a brilliant mother the way she has stood by her son she is a very hard working and devoted mother. She has been taken for a ride by people who she thought was friends and she finds it difficult to trust people. Who wouldnt feel the way she does. She is not selfish but a damn hard worker who deserves to be a millionair because she has worked for what she has got. She is also a millionair mother because all the money in the world would mean nothing to this lady without her son who needed his mothers help. Good on you Hillary i think you are fantastic and you have done all this on your own.My heart goes out to you and your son and you both deserve everything that you have worked so hard for. Another brilliant series of the secret millionair.
Regards Lesley Savery
September 26th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Hilary Devey is an inspiration. We would be happy to support her son if he wants to write.
November 11th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
What does one say of such a great and wonderful role model as Hillary Devey.
I know that this is very late to be posting this as the episode on Secret Millionaire where Mrs Devey helped so many deserving people was on air a good few months ago.
Ever since I watched that episode I have not been able to stop thinking of what Mrs Devey had done for all those people, this just shows what a great person she is.
As for all the problems she has gone through with her son, I think it is great that she stuck by him and helped him through his dark days, I think in today’s world to many people are to quick to give up on other people. I am going through a similar situation with my mother. My mother lives back in my South Africa and has come across hard times and I have tried every thing in my power to help her and to help her find a job back in SA but no luck, many people have told me to just let her get on with her own life as I have my own partner and should get on with mine. After watching Mrs Devey and reading up on her I have started to think that she is correct and I will always try and help my Mom and be there for her but she will have to try and help her self, as we can all go through this one day and in these times we all need some one to lean on.
Mrs Devey you will most likely never read this and you will never know me if I crossed you in the street but I just want you to know I think you are a great inspiration to not only me but to many many people out there. The world should have more people like you in it and what a better world this would be.
Kind regards
Mr C Smith