Everyone has once daydreamed about what they would do with lottery winnings. We might gift it to family, put it towards a newer car, or finally use it to purchase a mansion.
But would you ever donate the majority of that cash?
This British woman did!
In 2019, the 55-year-old Frances Connolly won the EuroMillions lottery. Former Northern Ireland social worker got approximately £115 million, or $145 million.
Incredibly, Frances already had a plan in place for how she would distribute some of her potential earnings to her loved ones.
She has found ways to donate the money to those in need in addition to giving it to her loved ones. In reality, she has already given these spots more than half of the total.
In honour of his late mother Kathleen Graham, Connolly established one charity in Northern Ireland. She also started the PFC Trust, which helps the elderly, refugees, and local caretakers in her community. Connolly also spent £5,000 on supplies for Ukrainian refugees, including clothing and toiletries.
Even from her spouse, she had to conceal how much she had donated.
Connolly, though, is not new to charitable work. While attending college in Belfast, she worked at an AIDS helpline charity and helped with St. John Ambulance as a young girl.
“If I had any suggestions for a winner… I’d say having money gives you the freedom to be who you want to be, she told the BBC.
Connolly responded, “Why wouldn’t you? ” when asked if she was pleased with her choice to give her money by a local news organisation. It is what I have always done.
Connolly and her husband still spent part of the money on themselves despite their generosity. Together, they purchased a used Aston Martin and a six-bedroom home with seven acres of land in County Durham.
Frances does not believe in living a life of complete luxury. She mentioned a show where two characters spent £25,000 on a bottle of champagne and how the money could have been utilised to assist those in need.
As her husband continues to manage their plastics company, Frances continues to run the foundations she started.
She reportedly told Mirror UK, “If you can do nice things for deserving people, why wouldn’t you just do it?” To have that kind of wealth and not put it to good use in the world defies logic in my opinion.
What do you think about Frances’ choice to donate such a large portion of her lotto winnings? Do you believe you could accomplish the same?
