YOU might not think a millionaire from Silverdale would have much in common with the disaffected youth of Peckham. But Dominic List knows a little about being an outsider.

"School was a write off," he reveals on The Secret Millionaire. "I was very ill as a child. I had very bad asthma which meant I missed out on making strong friendships. And some of the kids at school resented the fact I wasn't around very much."

Thankfully, unlike many youngsters in the disadvantaged London borough, Dominic had his mum and dad to fall back on.

"I was very fortunate to have two strong parents," he said. "My father was very entrepreneurial and my mum was very education based. The problem with kids today is that no-one has inspired them during their life."

Himself suitably inspired, Dominic made his fortune in the telecoms industry. "It was just that kind of blood, sweat and tears story," he recalled. "I sold everything I had including my car, re-mortgaged my house, ran up a huge credit card bill. That was six years ago and I've been working hard ever since."

Dominic now lives in a Thames riverside apartment overlooking the financial centre of London. He has a Brazilian model girlfriend and a fast car. He's not forgotten his North Staffordshire roots – he still has offices in Hanley – but one suspects he's not often seen with her in Primark.

As Kirsty MacColl once said, "from an uptown apartment to a knife on the A-train, it's not that far", and Dominic's challenge was to live among the poverty-stricken of Peckham just three miles away.

He decided a good starting point would be a youth club, happening upon the chap who ran it in the street. "It should be on tonight," he was told, "but unfortunately about 10 minutes ago one of our people got stabbed."

As baptisms of fire go, this one was red hot. "I'm totally shocked," said the 36-year-old. "It's brought home how bad things can get. The most saddening stories are about kids being violent with each other."

In a strange way, however, Dominic could empathise. "Some of the trouble I had at school, these kids have got as well. A lot of times I felt very lost. I didn't know what direction I was going to go. There was a lot of fear and it was just a big scary world."

It seemed the bravest thing any youngster could do in Peckham was turn their back on the gangs which rule through intimidation. "There were some bad lads in my school and at times you feel that they've got a lot of power over you," he said while talking to a lad who'd been targeted by thugs.

Empowerment is a difficult thing to buy for someone, but Dominic managed it by helping Billy, who had lost his mum to cancer and had sacrificed his education to nurse his ill dad, to relocate to a better area, enjoy the security of a trust fund, and find a career path. "I liked his fighting spirit," said Dominic, "and the fact he carries on going through the adversity."

And there was hope elsewhere – not just at the youth centre but at a project intended to encourage an interest in motor mechanics. Both received £10,000 to help further their plans.

"A lot of people have shown me that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover," concluded Dominic. "I've come in as a sceptic and am leaving with a very much more positive and open frame of mind."

A few grand to engender hope and belief is cheap at half the price.

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