A National Lottery winner who donated £60million of her winnings to charity has said she was inspired by the late Dolly Parton.
Frances Connolly, who scooped a £115million jackpot alongside her husband Paddy in 2019, estimates that roughly half of that extraordinary sum has already been distributed to charitable causes.
The couple established the PFC Trust following their win, channelling funds towards good causes throughout North East England.
Before her fortunes changed, Mrs Connolly had spent years working as both a social worker and teacher, having grown up helping others in Northern Ireland from an early age.
Now approaching her 60th birthday, the grandmother says that generosity is simply woven into human nature — a philosophy that has guided her approach to one of the largest individual lottery prizes ever awarded in Britain.
Her father’s passion for country music left a lasting impression, with Dolly Parton holding a special place in the household.
Mrs Connolly has described the late singer as an “inspiration” for her own charitable endeavours.
Ms Parton passed away last month at the age of 80, prompting widespread reflection on her extraordinary generosity.
Commentators noted at the time that the iconic performer could have achieved billionaire status had she not donated such vast portions of her wealth to causes including child literacy.
The parallel with Mrs Connolly’s own approach to giving is striking — both women chose to part with fortunes that most would cling to.
For Mrs Connolly, Ms Parton’s example reinforced a conviction she had carried since childhood: that wealth finds its truest purpose when shared with others.
Speaking to reporters, Mrs Connolly reflected on why accumulating wealth was never her priority.
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She said: “It depends on what you want in life. If your ambition is to be the richest person in the world and be influencing presidents, then you need to keep all your money, or you need to keep a lot of your money.”
She pointed to her age at the time of the win as a factor in her willingness to give so freely.
“Maybe if we had been younger I’d have kept more, maybe you’d be a bit more nervous about how much you could give away, but unless I intended to live forever – I was 50-whatever when I won it – so even being generous, I was well over half-way through,” she explained.
Her guiding principle was straightforward: “So as long as the kids are sorted and they had enough to live comfortable, nice lives, I didn’t see the point.”
To celebrate Mrs Connolly turning 60, seven athletes are undertaking a gruelling “60 for 60 Challenge” in aid of the PFC Trust, combining running, swimming and cycling across a cumulative distance of 60 miles.
The challenge kicked off this weekend with a family fun day at Middlesbrough Velodrome and the series of events will culminate with a team entry in the Great North Run.
Each of the athletes has benefited from Mrs Connolly’s commitment to nurturing young sporting talent and wanted to give something back.
Paul Hewitson, who will tackle the Great North Run leg, said: “She has set such an example, and we wanted to help through sport, as we all know how vital it is for young people to live healthier lives.”
Yet Mrs Connolly is clear-eyed about the limits of individual wealth.
“I am at pains to explain to people that despite being a millionaire, I can’t cure poverty, and I certainly can’t do everything that’s needed to be done on my own,” she said.
She relies on a vast network of volunteers and supporters — around 50 help at the trust’s annual ball alone, while others bake cakes and sell raffle tickets at events.
“I think people just need to be asked and they just need to have that opportunity to do exactly what I do and change lives,” she said.
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