The campaign to erect a statue in honour of Dorset palaeontologist Mary Anning in her hometown of Lyme Regis has hit its fundraising target of £100,000.
The Mary Anning Rocks campaign was launched in November
Work has begun on the statue and fundraisers have now raised a further £30,000 which is needed to secure planning permission and for legal fees, ground works and transportation.
They are now hoping to raise a further £50,000 for educational resources.
Additional donations will be used to launch the Mary Anning Rocks Learning Legacy – an educational program of free learning materials and funded fossils walks for children from underserved backgrounds.