A school in Kenya has finished building two new classrooms thanks to a £7,000 donation from its sister school in Bradford.

Yorkshire Martyrs Catholic College may be closing in 2010 but its name will live on in Marigat, Kenya, where the new school block has been dedicated to the Bradford school.

And Yorkshire Martyrs has now teamed up with St Bede’s Catholic School and St Joseph’s Catholic College for a project to provide a neighbouring village with clean water.

Links between Yorkshire Martyrs and St Theresa’s missionary parish in Marigat were established ten years ago, during which time many pupil exchanges have taken place.

Physical education teacher Steve Bishop visited the village during the summer to lay the foundations of the two classrooms at a new school.

The Yorkshire Martyrs Block will start to be used in January.

Mr Bishop, who first visited the village ten years ago as a student at Yorkshire Martyrs sixth form, said: “I have seen first hand how the exchange between our communities can benefit everyone involved, and I was only too happy to keep it going.”

Political difficulties in Kenya have limited student exchanges but fundraising has continued.

Mr Bishop said: “Just because we could not take our pupils there, and the Kenyans could not get visas to come here, we could not abandon the relationship. In fact the need is greater in these unstable times.

“The money that we raised was initially going to be used to bring a group of young Kenyans to Bradford.

“But as the visa situation could not be sorted out, we decided to put the money to good use by helping build the school block.”

The partnership was originally set up by former Yorkshire Martyrs deputy head teacher Paul Rowen, now MP for Rochdale, who visited the site with Mr Bishop in the summer.

He said: “It is great to see the link still playing a part in school life at Yorkshire Martyrs.

“The development between the three Catholic schools in Bradford means Marigat will still have the link between the two communities we have kept going for so long.”

The three schools are now working to raise money to provide a neighbouring village called Kurkana Camp with clean running water.

To help with funding, publicity or in any way, contact Mr Bishop at Yorkshire Martyrs on (01274) 681262.

e-mail: james.rush@telegraphandargus.co.uk