If only we could win a huge jackpot in the lottery, there is no doubt that it would turn our lives around. When it comes to winning the lottery, most of the time people think about themselves, on how this money can make their lives so much better. But for this selfless UK woman, it’s all about giving back to others.
Back in 2019, 55-years-old Frances Connolly from Northern Ireland won the EuroMillions. The former social worker and teacher won a whopping £115 million or about $145 million in the lottery!
Instead of buying luxurious things for themselves, the first thing she did was share her blessings with friends and family.
The idea to give back was her ultimate goal in case she wins a lottery jackpot. And that is exactly what she did. However, her biggest beneficiary wasn’t her immediate family or friends.
Using her winnings, Connolly set up two charitable foundations. One was named after her late mother, Kathleen Graham. This foundation is currently based in Northern Ireland. The other foundation she set up is the PFC Trust. This one supports local carers, the elderly, and refugees in her hometown.
Connolly isn’t new to giving back to the community. As a child, Connolly volunteered with the St. John Ambulance and learned how to give first aid. She was also a member of an AIDS helpline in Belfast, which she helped run. But this time, she thinks she has given away more than half of all the money she has won. Even her husband had to be kept in the dark too.
In an interview with BBC, she said, “If I had any advice for a winner… I’d say money liberates you to be the person that you want to be.” And when asked if she was happy to give so much money away, she just said: “Why wouldn’t you? I’ve done that all my life.”
She is still active in their community, especially with people who are unemployed, refugees, caretakers, or elderly. She also gave the seniors tablets so they can stay in touch with their families all the time. She shares that helping others is like an addiction to her. She has no plans of stopping anytime soon.
She gave £5,000 to Ukrainian refugees so they could buy clothes and hygiene products. She also said that if she had kept all the money she had given away, she would be a millionaire.
She doesn’t like living in luxury. They still live normal lives. She thought it would be better to use the money to help other people. She said, “If you can do good things for deserving people, why wouldn’t you just do it.
It makes no sense to me to have that kind of money and not use it to do good in the world. ” In fact, Mr. Connolly still runs their plastics business, and she is in charge of charities.
But of course, they didn’t forget themselves.
The couple purchased a six-bedroom house in County Durham with seven acres of land, something that they have always dreamed of having. That is by far the biggest investment they had with the money they won. Also, Mr. Connolly is driving a second-hand Aston Martin.
