Frances Connolly donates half of £115m lottery jackpot

Frances and Paddy Connolly, winners of a £115 million National Lottery jackpot in 2019, have donated approximately half of their fortune to charitable causes. To support their PFC Trust in North East England, seven athletes are performing various challenges to mark Frances’s 60th birthday and raise additional funds for young sporting talent.

Frances, a former social worker and teacher originally from Northern Ireland, cited the late singer Dolly Parton as an inspiration for her philanthropic approach. She noted that once basic needs for her family are met, she believes sharing wealth is a natural human impulse. The couple has focused much of their giving on supporting community causes and youth sports.