Ken Dodd's amazing gift to the inhabitants of Liverpool after leaving a fortune of £ 27.7 million

Ken Dodd made an extraordinary gift to the people of Liverpool, asking him to spend £ 27.7 million on projects he cares about in his hometown.

The 90-year-old actor died last March and all his wealth went to his longtime partner, Anne Jones, 77 years old.

It has now been revealed that he had left instructions for donations to be made to a number of charities.

One of the beneficiaries will be the parish hall located a few meters from the Liverpool home where he has lived all his life.

Anne told Liverpool: "Ken loved to make people laugh – it was his life, not just a job.

"As a wife, beneficiary of his estate, and also knowing the contents of the will that he made a few years ago, I will be able to honor his wishes."

She promised to continue developing the Ken Dodd Charitable Foundation, which he had created several years before his death.

Anne has revealed "a substantial sum" which will be used to renovate the St John The Evangelist parish hall.

She added: "Although it is not a listed building, it is in a conservation area and we need to work closely with the relevant authorities and get their approval at every stage of the process.

"And it would be nice if, once all the work was done, he could bear the name of Ken."

There will also be money for one of the star's favorite charities – Shakespeare North in Prescot, a trust that wishes to celebrate the Elizabethan heritage of the region.

It also aims to promote Shakespearian theater in the region.

Anne, whose husband was a big fan of Shakespeare, said about trust: "He thought it was a wonderful project."

She added, "Ken was also a big supporter of our hospitals and the Foundation will be looking to help them, as well as various health charities.

"He has always praised the NHS, including the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, where he was treated shortly before his death, and the Clatterbridge Hospital, which he was a protector."

Ken left his wife a fortune of 27.7 million pounds sterling after marrying him barely two days before his death, as part of a last-minute bid to duck the taxman.

The couple knotted the knot as it faced the end and this spared Anne a long legal battle for her riches.

It also saved him from paying a 40% tax on his inheritance, which would have been a £ 11 million bill.

This decision allowed Ken to make a final blow against HMRC after his highly publicized battle with them in the 1980s.

He had been acquitted of a tax bill amounting to £ 1 million in 1989 after officials had discovered £ 336,000 in cash stuffed in suitcases in the attic of his home.

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