Lottery Winner Gifts £57.5M, Inspired by Dolly Parton's Kindness
Lottery Winner Gifts £57.5M, Inspired by Dolly Parton's Kindness
Frances Connolly, who won £115m, has given away half her fortune, crediting Dolly Parton's philanthropy. Discover her inspiring story of generosity and why she believes in sharing.
A National Lottery winner who generously gave away half of her colossal £115 million jackpot says helping others is simply human nature. Frances Connolly, alongside her husband Paddy, scooped the life-changing prize in 2019 and swiftly established a charity trust to champion good causes, primarily in North East England.
Frances, a former social worker and teacher, had a long history of helping others in Northern Ireland, even before her lottery win. Her father was a country music enthusiast, and Dolly Parton was a particular favourite. Frances described the legendary singer, who recently passed away at 80, as a profound "inspiration" for her unwavering commitment to philanthropy.
Dolly Parton herself was renowned for her immense generosity, notably in areas like child literacy, prompting observers to note she could have been a billionaire had she not given so much away. This spirit of giving clearly resonated deeply with Frances and Paddy, who estimate they've distributed a staggering half of their winnings over the years. As Frances approaches her 60th birthday, her legacy of support continues to grow.
Seven athletes, who have benefited from her encouragement of young sporting talent, are set to undertake a series of demanding challenges. Their goal? To raise funds for the couple's PFC Trust, further extending their impactful work.
A grandmother to three daughters, Frances shared her philosophy with the PA news agency:
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 added, "But I don't know anybody who doesn't share something.
I think it's in mankind to share when you get to a level where you've got enough. 'Enough' is a different level for everybody." Reflecting on her decision, she continued, "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 halfway through." For Frances, ensuring her children were comfortable and secure was paramount.
So as long as the kids are sorted and they had enough to live comfortable, nice lives, I didn't see the point.
Her husband Paddy still manages their plastics businesses, maintaining a grounded approach despite their immense fortune.
This inspiring couple proves that true wealth often lies in what you give away.
