Our Patrons
Anne Wafula Strike MBE
Born in Mihu, Kenya, Anne was a fit and healthy child before polio struck when she was two years old. After graduating from Moi University, Anne taught at Machakos Technical College in Kenya before meeting the man she would marry – which lead her to Britain, motherhood, wheelchair racing, disability advocacy, and charity work.
Anne became the first wheelchair racer from Sub-Sahara Africa to compete at the Paralympics in Athens. In 2006 she joined Team GB and in 2007 she was officially recognised by the Queen at a Buckingham Palace reception for her work as a disabled athlete and for involvement in charity work for people with disabilities.
Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin MBE
Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin MBE is the Executive Director of Chabad Lubavitch North East London and Essex. He is the recipient of an MBE from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth awarded in October 2013 for his services to Drugsline and the wider communities of Essex. He is looking forward to working with The Dream Factory and strengthening the links between the The Dream Factory and the the local Jewish Community.
Christine Ohuruogu MBE
Christine Ohuruogu MBE is a British athlete who specialised in the 400 metres, for which she is a former Olympic, World and Commonwealth Champion.
She was the first British female to win two World Championship titles, the first British female to win three global titles, and the first British athlete of either gender to win three global titles in the same event – making her the most decorated British athlete of all time.
Christine was appointed MBE in the 2009 New Year Honours for her services to athletics and was named the Sunday Times and Sky Sports Sportswomen of the Year in 2013.
Dipna Anand
Dipna Anand is a Celebrity Chef who co-owns the famous Brilliant Restaurant and Banqueting Suite in Southall, specialising in Punjabi cuisine, showcasing some of her grandfather’s recipes dating back to over 75 years. Dipna has also recently won The Family Team Restaurant of the Year Award, at The British Curry Awards.
Dipna is known as the curry queen of the Indian Cookery World however she also has expertise and knowledge in a range of cuisines from around the world. Her quick, easy and express style recipes are a real buzz in the social media world. She believes cooking should be fun, exciting, easy and quick.
Dipna has also appeared on Saturday Morning with James Martin – Cooking Show with her delicious recipes and appeared with Mary Berry to show the world her amazing Diwali treats. Dipna is also the author of two cookery books and kindly donated a very tasty recipe to our ECookbook.
Colin Mcmillan BEM
Colin, who was known as “Sweet C” as a professional boxer, became a two-time British Featherweight Champion – winning a Lonsdale belt in record time – Commonwealth Featherweight Champion in 1991 and World Featherweight Champion in 1992.
In his first defence, a dislocated shoulder saw him lose his title. After regaining and losing the British Featherweight title in 1997, Colin officially announced his retirement.
Today, Colin divides his time between running his own boxing agency, property developing, commentary and event organising.
Doreen Golding BEM
The Pearly Queen of Old Kent Road, Doreen has dedicated many years to raising money for charities, including working with the Variety Club of Great Britain. She is a pro-active patron for The Dream Factory, often fundraising for us.
Harry Collett
Our Patron Harry Collet is a British actor who recently starred in the fabulous Dr Dolittle movie.
Harry aims to spread positivity through his own clothing line. He hopes not only to put a smile on your face while you wear his products, but over the next three months he is kindly donating proceeds of all purchases to The Dream Factory. Smile – the brand to make you and others happy!
Kevin Nolan
Kevin was born in Liverpool and was brought up by a football-playing family in Toxteth. He has gone on to play as midfielder for Bolton Wanders, Newcastle United, Leyton Orient and Notts County. For four years he captained West Ham United where he saw them return to the Premier League.
As at 2017, he has made 607 appearance in top-flight football and scored 111 goals.
Lydia Lucy
Lydia Lucy is an English singer and television personality. She has featured in many acts with will.i.am and other musicians including the Black Eyed Peas. In 2013, she featured in the tenth series of The X Factor, where she was mentored by Nicole Scherzinger, reaching the six-chair challenge. In 2016, she reached the final of the fifth series of The Voice UK and was mentored by will.i.am.
Lisa Nash
Lisa Nash’s career started by presenting ITV’s Friday night Clubavision. She has gone on to presenting everything from DJ Factory, Britain’s Next Top Model Live, Fashion TV and Knuckle Up on Sky Sports to starring in films Sucker Punch alongside Tamer Hassan and Tom Hardy, Dead Cert and Demon & Doors.
Lisa is also now a personal trainer.
Michael Watson MBE
Michael Watson MBE is a British professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 1991. He held the Commonwealth middleweight title from 1989 to 1991, and challenged three times for a world title between 1990 and 1991. Michael is proud to be a Patron to The Dream Factory and says:
‘It is a privilege to be a patron of the Dream Factory. I look forward to inspiring the children.
The children are our hope for the future. I know how they feel as I am in the same situation as the children. My message to the children is: Never give up. Believe in yourself. You all are CHAMPIONS LIKE ME!’
Michael Mckell
Michael McKell is an actor best known for playing DS Nick Henshall in Emmerdale, DS/DI Trevor Hands in the ITV drama M.I.T. and Dr. Nick West in the BBC drama Doctors. He has appeared in several movies including Freight, Will, Acts of Godfrey, and Death.
He is also a singer/songwriter, and has released an album called Shower Over Moon Street. See more about Michael at twitter.com/MckellMichael
Cllr Ruth Clark JP
Ruth is a local councillor for the London Borough of Redbridge and is Mayor elect. She is also a Justice of the Peace.
Dr Rory McCrae
Rory is chairman of Chilvers McCrea and a General Practitioner. Rory is the Medical Advisor to The Dream Factory.
Most Reverend & Rt Hon Stephen Cottrell
The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Stephen Cottrell is Archbishop of York and Primate of England, the second most senior clerical position in the Church of England. He previously served as Bishop of Reading and as Bishop of Chelmsford (2010–2020). In December 2019, he was announced as the next Archbishop of York and he took office on 9th July 2020.
Simon Khan
Simon Khan is a PGA golf professional. He spends a lot of the year on the golf circuit abroad. He has The Dream Factory logo on his golf bag and pledged £10 for every birdie he made, donating £1,970 to help us grant more dreams. He also donated his driver, which he signed for our Golf Day.
Sid Owen
Sid Owen started in Eastenders in the role of Ricky Butcher in 1988. Before that, he had appeared alongside Al Pacino and Donald Sutherland in the film Revolution.
Sid came 3rd in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and in 2005 returned to Eastenders for a short while. He now lives in France.
Terry Alderton
Terry is a comedian and actor in both film and TV. He has toured UK with his comedy show and appeared at many comedy festivals including those in Edinburgh, Australia, New Zealand and India. He starred in Eastenders as a new taxi-driving love interest for Bianca Butcher, played by another of our Patrons, Patsy Palmer. After leaving Eastenders he worked on Terry Alderton All Crazy Now on Radio 4.
Terry has been supporting The Dream Factory for several years now, chairing our auctions at various events and helping us to raise money for children’s dreams.
Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp is a former English footballer and manager. He has had a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth.
He previously managed West Ham United, Portsmouth (twice), Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur. While in his second spell at Portsmouth, he managed the side that won the 2008 FA Cup.
At the conclusion of the 2009–10 season he guided Tottenham into the UEFA Champions League for the very first time. Redknapp subsequently oversaw Spurs’ progress to the last 16 of that tournament when defeating German side Werder Bremen at home. They were the only new club to have qualified for the next stage of the competition and went on to top their group ahead of holders Inter Milan, before defeating AC Milan over two legs to reach the quarter-finals.
His son, Jamie Redknapp, played under him at Bournemouth and Southampton. He is also uncle to Chelsea player Frank Lampard, who played under him at West Ham United. harryredknapp.co.uk
Patsy Palmer
Patsy starred as Bianca in Eastenders and is now living in the USA. She has appeared in McCready & Daughter, Trapped, Strictly Come Dancing and several West End shows. She has also launched Palmer Cutler Products in the UK.
Patsy and her family participated in a Celebrity Family Fortunes nominating The Dream Factory as their chosen charity.
Rt Hon Sir Iain Duncan Smith
The Right Honourable Sir Iain Duncan Smith is MP for Chingford and Woodford Green and former leader of the Conservative Party. He is now Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and heads the Centre for Social Justice.
Iain is a very proactive patron of The Dream Factory and attends as many events as he can.
Ray Winstone
Ray Winstone’s career began in the mid ’70’s and has involved roles for both TV and movies, including Hollywood blockbusters such as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Departed, a reboot of The Magic Roundabout, a beaver in the first Narnia film and a dwarf in Snow White and The Huntsman.
One of the roles for which he received much acclaim and which brought him to the attention of Hollywood was Sexy Beast. Ray has recently revived the role of Jack Regan in a film re-make of The Sweeney.
He has also tackled diverse and complex roles from King Henry VIII, to Beowolf, to The Chronicles of Narnia. He has been nominated for two BAFTAs, won a screen Actors Guild Award, three British Independent Film Awards and two international Emmy Awards.
Vicki Michelle MBE
Vicki is very proud to have been awarded the MBE for her services to Charities.
Vicki is perhaps still best known through her role of Yvette in the BBC hit TV series ‘Allo ‘Allo! She has enjoyed an extensive acting career in TV dramas and musicals and has starred in many pantomimes around the United Kingdom. Vicki also did exceptionally well in 2014’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
She is an acclaimed musical performer, credits include: Miss Hannigan in Annie, Lady Raeburn and Asphynxia in Salad Days, Miss Mona in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Vi Collins in Stop Dreaming. She also played Emma, screen wife of Ray Winstone in Channel 4’s All in the Game and has appeared in the award-winning soaps such as Emmerdale and Doctors.
Vicki is also a very proactive patron for The Dream Factory.
Gillian Taylforth
Gillian Taylforth became a patron of The Dream Factory at the beginning of 2017. She is best known for her role as Kathy Beale on the BBC soap opera EastEnders, and has also appeared as Jackie Pascoe-Webb on ITV’s Footballers’ Wives, and more recently as Sgt. Nikki Wright in ITV’s The Bill. She has also appeared in film during her early career, has presented on ITV’s Loose Women and appeared as a celebrity contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2008.
The Late Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley (Deceased January 2023)
The Dream Factory were very privileged and honoured to have Lisa Marie Presley as one of our Patrons. She attended some of our events and donated memorabilia from Graceland, of her father Elvis Presley to help generate funds. We were her sole charity in this country.
We will miss Lisa Marie and keep the Presley family in our hearts.
Read our memorial to Lisa Marie
