One of my oldest friends has achieved success on TV and the West End - and her latest project has made me so proud of her

We have known each other for over 50 years and during that time, I have watched Sian progress from the Lytton School of Dance where we met, to the bright lights of the West End stage and eventually to become a TV and film actress.

Appearing in the original cast of Les Miserables and then moving into a variety of TV series including Eastenders, Emmerdale, Coronation Street, Cutting It, Hope Springs, Mount Pleasant, Open All Hours and Lunch Monkeys, Sian became a household name.

But it was her appearance on Just the Two of Us, a BBC singing competition which saw celebrities paired with professional singers, which Sian Reeves won with international opera star Russell Watson, that has brought her to her latest project.

Sian’s concerns for the elderly in care has prompted her to make a charity album in aid of Alzheimer’s and it is her intention to visit as many care homes as possible across the country, to share her talent with the residents to entertain them, but more importantly from a medical point of view, to assist in stimulating their brains through music.

The album, entitled Remember This is a wonderfully heart-warming listen and includes the classic tunes, It Had to be You, When You’re Smiling, Always, If You Were the Only Girl in the World, Yes Sir, That’s My Baby and more.

Sian, originally from West Bromwich, told me that she was invited to record the album at Abbey Road Studios, by 19 year old Oskar Juchelkahis, whose aunt has dementia. It seems everyone is keen to help, which is not surprising given that the illness affects so many families these days.

The tunes Sian has chosen are guaranteed to bring back happy memories and stimulate the brain as well as help with relaxation and put the listener at ease.

Sian’s opinions are strong and she has certainly done her research. It is a proven fact that music eases the anxiety felt by sufferers of this awful disease.

“My main focus is on care homes," Sian said. “If we don’t communicate and listen, all the neurons in the brain start to decrease in activity.

“So many of us are getting old and surviving longer , and we need to fix the costs which are so high. The system needs re-addressing. At the moment, you have to pay extra for a hair wash, an assisted bath, a shirt ironed on top of the fees, and some places really only offer the same services offered by a very basic hotel,” she continued..

Sian would like sponsorship for her project too.

“The pharmaceutical companies are keeping us alive longer and making a lot of money. Maybe one of them could sponsor me to deliver a day in a care home, once a week, where people can have their brains stimulated and memories revived to encourage speech?” she said.

This is an excellent idea and a great example of how talent can be put to good use and as a friend, I cannot stress enough how proud I am of Sian and her venture.

Sian’s journey will begin next week at the Wheatlands Care Home in Much Wenlock, where she will meet up with Harriet Thomas, a wonderful lady who is doing an incredible 900 mile walk to help dementia patients.

Harriet’s mother was a sufferer of dementia and so she has chosen to support the charity Dementia Adventure Her walk, The D Tour will take Harriet from Land’s End to John O’Groats and hopefully will inspire others to raise funds and awareness for the charity. Her aim is to raise £25,000.

Joining forces with Sian will really make a difference I am sure.

Sian’s album will be released worldwide on all digital platforms on September 13 and is already available for pre-order on Apple and Spotify now.

Follow the Slinky link to purchase.

To support Dementia Adventure, visit dementiaadventure.org and follow the link to The D Tour.