The multimillionaire, who claims to be “addicted” to help, has given away more than half of her £ 115 million lottery winnings and ruined her budget for the next decade.
Francis Connelly has revealed that she has negotiated a charity budget with her husband Patrick, but has already given £ 60 million – what they would give by 2023.
The 55-year-old added: “Helping others, whether with money or volunteer time, lifted people’s spirits during the blockade.
“It’s noisy and addictive. I’m addicted to it now.”
The Connelly family won EuroMillions 2019 and distributed bundles of money immediately to friends and family, using a list she prepared before winning, as she believed this would happen.
Ms. Connelly, a former social worker and teacher, has set up two charities, one for her late mother Kathleen Graham and the other for the PFC Trust in Hartlepool, where the couple previously lived.
The couple, who have three daughters, bought a six-bedroom house in Durham after their victory as their biggest expense.
Ms Connelly scoffed at the idea of spending £ 25,000 on a bottle of champagne after seeing it on a TV show, and said she immediately thought it could put a young man on the property ladder.
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On Saturday, the mother of three organized a fundraising gala to raise more than £ 100,000 for the PFC Trust, which supports local young carers, the elderly and refugees.
Although she cannot “cure poverty” on her own, Francis Connelly hopes her trust will be supported by others.
She added: “I’m not funny, I would be a millionaire anyway if I got all the money I’ve given back over the years.”
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