Press & Media
Corporate 500 Gold Club Launched
Essex-based Charity The Dream Factory grants dreams to children and young adults between the age of 3 to 25 years, who suffer from life-threatening, life-limiting conditions or have severe disabilities and to date has granted over 504 dreams!
To celebrate granting over 500 dreams, The Dream Factory have launched their 500 Gold Club – The aim of this campaign is to invite at least 50 Companies into the 500 Gold Club, who will each commit to raise or donate a minimum of £500 during the next 12 months.
The initial response from Companies has been amazing and we are extremely grateful to the following Companies that have already signed up:
Freedom of the Borough for Redbridge for Avril and Isaac
The Honorary Freedom of Redbridge has been awarded to five residents whose tireless and selfless work has helped numerous vulnerable people in the borough and beyond.
Freedom of the Borough is the highest accolade that the council can bestow to community heroes who make an invaluable contribution to our borough.
Murad delivers Easter Eggs to Richard House
We visited Richard House Children’s Hospice in Beckton where we dropped off 150 Easter eggs, to terminally ill children. Murad, his family and the staff at the hospice were over the moon to receive the Donation.
Murad’s story; Murad, 22 from East Ham, who is a West Ham fan was diagnosed with a rare kidney and blood disorder, Fanconi anaemia, shortly after he was born and was only given 2 days to live. Since then, he has had 50 operations, including a kidney transplant when he was 11. However, he is in need of another transplant because of the age of the kidney, which was donated by a 45-year-old
Publication
West Ham, Hammers Group
Date
April 2021
Rainham youngsters make dreams come true
The Dream Factory grants dreams to children and young adults between the age of 3 to 25 years, who suffer from life-threatening, life-limiting conditions or have severe disabilities and to date has granted over 504 dreams!
The charity’s Kids Helping Kids 2021 campaign aims to inspire children and young adults across the country to make a positive difference to other children who are not as fortunate as themselves by hosting their own fundraising event, activity or challenge.
The Dream Factory launches Kids Helping Kids Campaign
The Dream Factory has launched their 2021 Kids Helping Kids Campaign – Kindness Makes Dreams Come True.
The campaign aims to inspire children and young adults across the country to make a positive difference to other children who are not as fortunate as themselves., helping those that have life threatening or severe disabilities….
Oliver and Emilia are Kids Helping Kids
The Dream Factory grants dreams to children and young adults between the age of 3 to 25 years, who suffer from life-threatening, life-limiting conditions or have severe disabilities and to date has granted over 504 dreams!
Our Kids Helping Kids 2021 Campaign aims to inspire children and young adults across the country to make a positive difference to other children who are not as fortunate as themselves. Helping those that have life threatening or severe disabilities. Through the Campaign, we are encouraging children and young adults to help us make dreams come true by hosting their own fundraising event, activity or challenge.
Looking forward to 2021
The pandemic has meant that all of our fundraising events in 2020 were cancelled – golf days, a garden party, a ladies lunch, Marathons and the children’s Christmas party. A big loss for us, possibly £70k or even more, which makes a difference to what we do.
Quite simply we are not bringing in the funds we need to sustain the number of ‘dreams’ we want to grant. There are hundreds of children and young adults with life-threatening illnesses and severe disabilities who need The Dream Factory.
Publication
West Essex Life Magazine
Date
January 2021
Avril on BBC Radio Essex
Avril is on BBC Radio Essex talking about The Dream Factory and the Amazing Dream Factory E Cookbook
Hainault charity welcomes celebrity chef Dipna Anand as patron
Hainault charity The Dream Factory has a new patron in the form of celebrity chef Dipna Anand.
Dipna – owner of the Brilliant Restaurant and Banqueting Suite in Southall – is a Punjabi cuisine specialist, often cited as the curry queen of the Indian cookery world.
The chef has showcased her talent on TV show Saturday Morning with James Martin and with Mary Berry. She has also authored two cookery books.
The addition of Dipna is a welcome one for The Dream Factory, which makes dreams a reality for those aged three-25 who have serious disabilities or life-limiting conditions.
The Dream Factory is granting its 500th dream on Christmas Eve
The Dream Factory grants dreams to children and young adults between the age of 3 to 25 years, who suffer from life-threatening, life-limiting conditions or have severe disabilities and this Christmas we have hit an enormous milestone as we have granted our 500th dream!
Our 500th Dream recipient was gorgeous Keyan Mustafa from North London. Keyan who is now 6, was first diagnosed at just 18 months old with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) and is currently in remission. Keyan is a huge fan of YouTuber Ryan from Ryan’s World and his dream was to be able to play with all the Ryan’s World toy collection, which is currently only exclusively available in the USA – Keyan already has the entire UK collection! Keyan’s dream was also to meet or receive a video call from Ryan himself. However, due to the current global pandemic, we knew that it would be impossible to arrange a meet and greet or video call, but wanted to grant some of young Keyan’s dream.
Publication
Essex-TV
Date
December 2020
Turning dishes into dreams
Making the wishes of poorly youngsters come true has been the mission of The Dream Factory since its inception 22 years ago. And its intrepid founder Avril Mills wasn’t about to let a pandemic put a stop to that, which is how the idea of an e-cookbook came about.
Containing 46 delicious recipes, many supplied by the charity’s celebrity supporters including Ray Winstone, Patsy Palmer and Harry Redknapp…
Publication
West Essex Life Magazine
Date
December 2020
Hainault charity sets up Advent fundraiser
Hainault charity The Dream Factory has set up an advent calendar prize draw as it seeks to fundraise the money needed to grant its 500th dream.
The draw — to run for 24 days during the festive season — is an effort to make up the funding shortfall caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Not only have the majority of fundraising avenues been lost to the virus, but the charity also doesn’t qualify for government assistance due to not being classed as an essential service.
The Dream Factory has already granted 496 dreams for children and young adults with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions, and hopes this fundraiser will help them toward 500.
The Dream Factory launches E-CookBook
Hainault charity The Dream Factory has launched an E-CookBook featuring recipes from some of the UK’s biggest household names.
Amongst the 46 selections are 19 favourites picked out by celebrities such as Harry Redknapp — with his infamous Jam Roly Poly — Mediterranean Lamb from Judge Rinder, and a Rib of Roast Beef by Ray Winstone All proceeds will go to the charity, which specialises in making the dreams of those with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions come true.
The Dream Factory is turning dishes into dreams
The secret is out! The team from Essex-based charity The Dream Factory is launching an amazing ECookBook with 46 mouth-watering recipes, featuring 19 All-Star celebrities who have kindly donated their favourite recipes.
The ECookBook was started during the first lockdown period of the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year, when people began experimenting with cooking new recipes and the team were delighted with the recipes that came forward which include a Jam Roly Poly from Harry Redknapp, Mediterranean Lamb from Judge Robert Rinder, an Oooooh Prawn Spaghetti A La Carte-Blanche from Vicki Michelle MBE and even a ‘The Guvnor’ Rib of Roast Beef by Ray Winstone….
Avril On BBC Radio Essex
Listen to Avril on BBC Radio Essex talking about The Dream Factory Amazing E Cookbook which was launched in October 2020
