RED Rock brewery is launching a new brew with a difference.

African Sunset will hit the shelves soon and a percentage of the sale of each bottle will be donated to an agricultural project in Kenya.

It was during a visit to Teignmouth Rotary Club that John Parkes, from the Bishopsteignton-based brewery, became interested in helping Operation Imprezza, an organisation supporting the Imprezza Academy, which provides education for children through to adulthood.

Rotarians contacted the academy's headmistress, Catherine Omanyo, and it was agreed that the best way to help would be to support the agricultural training programme.

On a recent visit to the UK, Catherine tried out the new brew for herself.

John said: 'We are delighted to be able to help with this vital scheme and it seems appropriate that the funds will go towards an agricultural project, particularly as Red Rock Brewery is based on a working farm in Bishopsteignton.'

Catherine's visit was made possible through a British Council-sponsored teacher exchange with Stokeinteignhead Primary School.

Torquay Girls' Grammar School also supports the project and paid for the roof of the hall and classroom block while Stokeinteignhead Primary School raised money to build a classroom with help from the parents and local community.

Teignmouth town councillor Jacqui Orme walked 50 miles in a day to boost the project's funds and Melissa Middleton raises money throughout the year from the Whistlestop Cafe at Teignmouth railway station.

Catherine said that the pupils and teachers at the Kenyan academy are extremely grateful for the help.

She said: 'Without the generosity of these people, we would not have achieved so much.

'I am amazed that so many people who do not know us are so active in supporting disadvantaged children and adults.'

The Imprezza project helps about 400 members of the community in agricultural best practice and they are then taught to train their families and neighbours.

It runs in a semi arid, rural area with various villages contributing to a high population.

People depend on subsistence farming and the Western Province is the poorest part of Kenya, along with the neighbouring Nyanza Province.

There is a high percentage of orphans, mainly due to HIV.

The trainers come mainly from women's groups and after learning about farming methods and how to implement them, they return home to train others in the surrounding villages.

With additional funding, this facility could be expanded to run formal vocational courses.