TV WILDLIFE expert Chris Packham helped a charity pass its £40,000 mark when he gave an illustrated talk in Dorchester.

The evening at the town’s Corn Exchange ended in a standing ovation after his informative and entertaining lecture in which he shared his secrets of photography and stories behind the pictures.

And it netted more than £1,200 bringing the total raised for the project to build a new secondary school in the Sudan to just over £40,000 – the original target set by Dorchester couple Claire and Richard Budd.

Building work is now under way on Grace Secondary School in the remote Nuba Mountain area of the Sudan. The couple have raised their target to £73,000 after deciding to include the second phase of the boarding school before opening in October.

Mrs Budd said: “This school will truly change lives and bring greater prosperity to the whole area. We are very humbled when we think of the generosity of people, particularly at this time of money worries.”

The project was launched following Mr Budd’s visit to the Sudan with the Bishop of Sherborne.

Grace Secondary School was on the point of closure because the building had deteriorated so badly.

The fund was started in August and has drawn support from fundraisers throughout the Salisbury diocese.

The evening with Chris Packham was supported by Dorchester Camera Club.