DREAMS could soon come true for more children after an Epping based charity was given £25,000 to help it continue granting wishes.
To celebrate 25 years of operating Intu Lakeside awarded Avril Mills’ charity the huge cash sum, last week.
The Dream Factory, was founded by Avril Mills after she lost her son Oliver to leukaemia and has been ensuring children from across Essex get days to remember throughout their treatment.
As part of Intu Lakeside’s 25th birthday celebrations the shopping centre pledged to raise £25,000 for the charity and help dreams come true.
Part of the £25,000 raised by Intu Lakeside staff and shoppers has been used to grant a number of dreams which have included swimming with dolphins in Portugal, a trip to
Legoland and a £500 shopping spree at the centre.
A fourth dream came true when an Apple Mac laptop was presented to 15-year-old Harry Luxton, who suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy by intu Lakeside’s marketing manager Donna Callander. Ms Callander said: “We are delighted to have had such a worthy local charity involved with our 25th birthday celebrations.
“This year we have been so impressed with the work that Avril Mills and her team carry out each and every day, and we’ve been delighted to help make dreams become a reality for some very deserving young people.”
Miss Mills said she “could not be more grateful”.