A couple who won £161m on the EuroMillions lottery have set up a £5m trust to improve the standard of life in Scotland.

Colin and Chris Weir won the jackpot payout in July 2011, and are now using part of their fortune to start the Weir Charitable Trust. The Trust has been endowed with an initial £5m, and aims to support charities, groups and individuals based in Scotland and serving the country.

The Trust will accept applications on a quarterly basis from both new and established sources, the remit being that the project improves quality of life. The five specific qualifying areas are health; sport; culture; recreational facilities and animal welfare.

The first wave of applications must meet a 7 March deadline, with awards to be announced in early April. There is no minimum monetary limit when applying.

In addition to the Weirs, there are two other trustees: Martin McLellan, of Kerr Barrie Solicitors, and RBS.

In a statement, the couple said that they had been looking at finding “a more structured way” of distributing their wealth around Scotland on an ongoing basis. They have already contributed funds to numerous projects in their home nation, such as helping to refurbish sports centre facilities and the grounds of a junior football club.