A Garston teacher who has been raising money to improve the lives of orphans in India collected £2,000 with his first charity event of the year.

Kish Poddar, biology teacher at Stanborough Secondary School, in Stanborough Park, held an Indian evening last weekend to fundraise for the charity he founded, Save The Orphans Please (STOP) International.

A full vegetarian three-course meal, which included samosas, a choice of vegetarian curries, rice, popadums, naan bread, cakes and fruit salad was enjoyed by 82 guests at the Stanborough Centre on Saturday and raised £700 for the charity.

Teenagers from the Stanborough Park Seventh-day Adventist acted as servers and wore saris to add authenticity to the event.

The rest of the money raised during the event came from an auction of donated items such as mirrors, household items, an aquarium, an exercise bike and a car with an MOT until May 2015.

Promises of gardening, massaging and tuition were also auctioned off.

STOP International was founded in 2000 and this year's projects will include drilling a new bore well for one of the orphanages, finishing the compound wall for the Love Home, painting the living accommodation of the Way to Life Home and building a new compound wall for the Vocational Training Centre.