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.