I won £115million on the Lottery, then immediately gave half of it away: EuroMillions jackpot winner ‘inspired by Dolly Parton’ sets up charitable trust to help others share in her good fortune
Frances Connolly, 60, who won a £115million EuroMillions jackpot with her husband Paddy in 2019, has given away an estimated half of their fortune and set up a charitable trust to support good causes across the North East of England. She has said her generosity was inspired by the late singer Dolly Parton, who died last month aged 80 and who was reportedly said to have forgone billionaire status by donating so much of her wealth to causes such as child literacy.
Ms Connolly, a former social worker and teacher from Northern Ireland, has donated nearly £60million through the couple's PFC Trust, which has funded respite caravans for young carers, loneliness projects, digital technology for older people, emergency food parcels and defibrillators for sports clubs. To mark her 60th birthday, seven athletes are taking on gruelling challenges to raise further funds, with a family fun day launched at Middlesbrough Velodrome building towards a team entry in the Great North Run.
In short
- EuroMillions winner Frances Connolly has given away roughly £60million of her £115m jackpot
- She credits the late Dolly Parton as her inspiration for philanthropy
- Her PFC Trust funds North East causes; athletes now taking on challenges for her 60th birthday
Explained simply
EuroMillions is a lottery played in several European countries, with jackpots sometimes reaching tens or hundreds of millions of pounds. Frances Connolly, a former social worker and teacher from Northern Ireland, and her husband Paddy won £115 million in 2019.
The couple established the PFC Trust to support charitable projects in the North East of England. Its work has included help for young carers, older people and sports clubs, as well as food parcels for people in need.
Connolly has said singer Dolly Parton’s charitable giving inspired her. Parton was known for supporting causes including children’s literacy, and her philanthropy has been linked to her decision to give away much of her wealth.
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