FORMER Secretary of State for Education Ruth Kelly has become patron of a Bradford based education trust.

Ruth Kelly also served as Secretary of State for Transport, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Minister for Women and Equality. She is currently Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at St Mary’s University.

She has now joined the Feversham Education Trust, which runs Feversham College, Queensbury School and plans to open a new girls school in 2019.

Ruth Kelly stated: “I am delighted to have accepted Feversham Education Trusts’ offer to become its Patron. The Trusts aim to work on areas of social and economic deprivation and improve the life chances and social mobility of young people is very dear to me.”

Ali Jan Haider, Chair of Trustees for the trust, said: "On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to welcome the Rt Hon Ruth Kelly on to our Board as Patron to the Trust, to have someone of Ruth’s credentials who has helped to shape education policy at the highest level join us is a tremendous honour not only for the FET Board but also for Bradford.”

Mubaaruck Ibrahim, Chief Executive of Feversham Education Trust, said: “Ruth is well known for her championing of the under privileged, to have her join our Trust as Patron gives our aim of transforming the life chances of young people in socially and economically deprived areas an added vigour.”