Latest News & Events
Charity Car Treasure Trail
1st to 31st August 2020
Join our exciting Charity Car Treasure Trail with your friends and family throughout the whole of August and enjoy a fun day out with a chance to win one of our fabulous prizes.
Visit 10 Essex countryside locations in a circular route that you can join at any point.
It’s family friendly and contains delightful places where you can stop for picnics and walks – so you can really make a day of it!
Ilford Recorder: help The Dream Factory get to its 500th dream
“We had a budget of spending at least £7,500 a month. But now with hardly any funds coming in we need to get every dream sponsored or we just can’t carry on.
“At the moment we are just treading water. We have had all our big fundraisers postponed, including two major golf days and a high-profile garden party that we were having in June.”
Read the full article at Ilford Recorder.
Watch This Space!
A host of celebrities including, Hary Redknapp, Ray Winstone, Judge Robert Rinder, Vicky Michelle MBE, Colin McMillan BEM and Ronnie O’Sullivan OBE are just a few of the very famous names who have donated something special for you to download very soon, which will raise much needed funds for The Dream Factory.
With help from you we make more dreams come true !
£800 Raised for |Maisie’s Dream !
We would like to thank Wendy Hill and all her friends for raising a massive £800.00 in memory of beautiful Maisie who was granted a dream by The Dream Factory earlier this year.
Thank you to you for all your kindness and generosity during these very difficult times.
Its thanks to you, we can make more dreams come true !
Ilford Recorder: teens run 5k to help The Dream Factory
“Avril told the Recorder that although times are ‘challenging’, she and her team are working hard to grant as many dreams as possible.
“Jacob has overcome every adversity to become the special little boy he is, a Disney-loving child who brings endless joy to his family.”
Read the full article at Ilford Recorder.
A message from our founder
July update from our founder and trustee Avril Mills BEM
Hello everyone, I would like to update you on our situation at The Dream Factory, since the Covid lockdown . Life with The Dream Factory has had to change, so that we conform with the government guidelines.
Please help to keep Oliver’s legacy alive
In January 2008, Avril Mills BEM founded The Dream Factory in memory of her son, Oliver, who fought Leukaemia for six years and sadly died aged only nine years old. The suffering of a child affects the whole family, which is why Avril decided to start The Dream Factory in order to brighten the lives of other families with similar difficulties and create lasting memories for them.
Hard work, determination and a passion like no other, has helped Avril to keep her team and many volunteers and supporters going strong, granting nearly 500 Dreams for vulnerable children and young adults.
The Dream Factory is currently being run by a skeleton staff, volunteers and trustees. Despite this, we have still managed to grant a Dream or two during the current lockdown.
We are not classed as an essential service; consequently, the charity is not eligible for any of the Government’s current grants, which we of course understand. Sadly, due to the coronavirus, our fundraising events have been cancelled, including two golf days, a major charity garden party, and many others.
We are therefore in desperate need of funds to help us keep Oliver’s legacy going. We are asking for your support at this difficult time. So please help us to grant more Dreams by clicking on the button below.
It would be such a shame if The Dream Factory cannot keep going. We want to keep helping vulnerable families for many years to come.
We aim to do everything possible to grant a child’s dream, whether it’s to meet their favourite celebrity or sporting hero, to live the lifestyle of a millionaire for a day, or to own a laptop or the latest mobile phone. Perhaps they wish to take a magical trip to Lapland or Euro Disney or be a princess for the day.
No wish is too small. With help from you we can make their dreams come true!
Thank you.
Love from The Dream Factory.
Some of the dreams we have granted recently
Declan’s Dream
Apple MacBook
Rebecca’s Dream
iPhone 11
Maisie’s Dream
Outdoor Games and Nintendo Switch Bundle
Sophie’s Dream
Nintendo Switch Bundle
Celebrating 12 years of The Dream Factory
The Dream Factory & Our Dream Families
Our Supporters
Since January 2008, the Chairman of SEE Contracts has supported Avril Mills and The Dream Factory by donating offices and a car. This has saved us thousands of pounds. They have supported our events and sponsored dreams by also helping with the electrics. We are so very grateful.