An Aids orphanage is being built in South Africa, thanks to former Sanctuary Group Board Member Joan Blaney CBE.

Joan and her famous cousin, Wolverhampton-born singer Beverley Knight MBE, joined forces to launch the Beads Project - a year-long campaign to raise £1 million to build an orphanage in Johannesburg - to coincide with World Aids Day on 1st December 2006.

Sanctuary backed Joan by donating £500 towards the project, which involved millions of bead badges made by women in South Africa, carrying the international Aids logo, being sold across the world for the equivalent of £1. One woman who was instrumental in the scheme, Thembeka Mwale, recently made the journey from South Africa to Sanctuary's head office in Worcester, to thank the housing association for its support.

Thembeka, who founded the Siyophila Community Organisation - a project helping youngsters and women whose lives have been touched by HIV/AIDS, was reunited with Joan and met Sanctuary’s Group Chief Executive David Bennett, Nick Abbey, Group Director - Housing and Board member Rosemary Crawley to celebrate the project’s success.

The project was organised by the Birmingham-based international charity, the Community Education & Training Academy (CETA), of which Joan is a director, in conjunction with WILDD.

Joan, was awarded the CBE for her work with the Scarman Trust, a charity that helps community-spirited citizens bring about change in their area, however they choose.