Press & Media
Avril Mills looks back after granting 200 wishes
ixing meetings with the stars and organising trips for seriously ill youngsters is all in a day’s work for the founder of a charity that has granted 200 wishes.
Avril Mills, of High Street, Epping, lost her nine-year-old son Oliver to leukaemia in 1999 and set up The Dream Factory after being inspired by a wish he had to make children’s dreams come true when he grew up.
She was given an office to use in Hainault by South Eastern Electrical in 2008 and has since recruited 30 volunteers, who have just granted their 200th wish, a pink iPad, to a seven-year-old girl with a severe muscular condition.
The 54-year-old said: “We’re delighted to have granted 200 dreams.
“We started five years ago and had nothing and it’s nice to know we’ve managed to do this.”
The Dream Factory helps wounded soldier Private Mark Allen
A wounded soldier whose TV, laptop and computer games console were stolen while he was undergoing treatment has been given replacements by a Redbridge-based charity.
Private Mark Allen, from Norfolk, had both his legs amputated after he was injured while fighting for the British Army in Afghanistan. And while he was on a visit to London for rehabilitation the 22-year-old was left devastated after his belongings were stolen when his car was broken into.
But Hainault-base charity, The Dream Factory, has stepped in to replace the items after its patron and former ‘Allo ‘Allo actress Vicki Michelle heard about his story.
The Dream Factory raises awareness in Brentwood
A charity for children with life limiting illnesses exhibited its work last weekend.
The Dream Factory, which grants wishes to terminally ill children and their families, was hoping to raise its profile among the thousands of visitors at the Essex Indoor Family Festival at the Brentwood Centre.
Avril Mills, founder of the Hainault-based charity, said: “It was great to meet so many people and spread the word about The Dream Factory and its work. Thanks go to all The Dream Factory volunteers who came along to man the stall over the weekend.”
West Essex Golf Club raise £7,000
Golfers raised £7,000 for a children’s charity at a coffee morning today.
West Essex Golf Club Ladies’ Section sold toys, homemade cakes, plants and much more to collect
the cash for The Dream Factory, a charity which grants the wishes of children with severe illnesses.
Around 45 members of the golf group helped organise and run the 12 stalls between 10am and 1pm at the golf club in Bury Road, Chingford, and had around 200 visitors.
MP Eleanor Laing joins The Dream Factory for Christmas Fundraising bag pack
LAST minute Christmas shoppers were offered a helping hand in return for vital donations to a children’s charity.
Supporters gave up their Saturday afternoon to help pack bags at Marks and Spencer in Epping High Street in aid of The Dream Factory.
Among the bag packers were Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing, former town mayor Ben Murphy and the charity’s founder Avril Mills.
Former Epping Mayor to lose 5 stone for The Dream Factory
A FORMER town mayor has set himself a New Year’s challenge – to lose 70 pounds in a bid to raise many more for charity.
Ben Murphy, who served as Epping mayor from 2008 to 2009, has taken on the weight loss trial in aid of children’s charity The Dream Factory. The 28-year-old is aiming to lose five stone between January 1 and August 30 – and is planning to undergo weekly public weigh-ins.
“I’ve always been a big lad but over the past few years I’ve continued to pile on the pounds eating however much of whatever I fancied, whenever I fancied it,” said Mr Murphy, a governor of St John’s C of E School
“Moreover I’ve coupled that greed with less and less exercise which has left me horrifically
The Dream Factory holds its Christmas party in Chigwell
The Dream Factory, which grants wishes to youngsters with life-limiting conditions, entertained 70 children during its party at Mooro’s restaurant in Abridge Road, Chigwell.
Miss Santas and Father Christmas also joined the party, where supporters of the charity – comedian Terry Alderton, former world boxing champion Colin McMillan and TV presenter Lisa Nash – were also among the guests.
The Dream Factory Ball in Woodford Bridge raises £34k
STARS helped raise £34,000 for a charity that helps grant wishes to seriously ill children.
Former East Enders actors Patsy Palmer and Sid Owen were among the guests at the ball in aid of The Dream Factory at Prince Regent Hotel in Woodford Bridge on Saturday, which included a charity auction and raffle.
Balancing act Crazy Horse and the Cha Cha School of Dance provided entertainment and other guests included Chingford and Woodford Green MP Iain Duncan Smith and former boxing champion Colin McMillan.
Avril Mills, from Epping, who launched the charity in 2008, after the death of her nine-year-old son Oliver from leukaemia, said: “It was a lot of hard work but it was worth it. We can now grant loads more dreams.
Elvis’ daughter pledges to become Patron
ELVIS’ daughter has vowed to become a patron of a charity after being impressed by its work at a fundraising ball.
Lisa Marie Presley was one of the celebrity guests at the Snowball held at the Prince Regent in Chigwell on Saturday in aid of Hainault-based charity The Dream Factory.
Actors Ray Winstone and Sid Owen, who are both patrons of the charity, and Amanda Redman were also among guests at the star-studded event, which raised £59,000 towards granting the wishes of terminally-ill children and those with life-threatening illnesses or disabilities.
Organiser Avril Mills said: “We have granted 83 dreams in under three years, so the money is going to go towards a lot more dreams. It costs between £500 and £5,000 for a dream.
“Lisa Marie Presley was very nice and she now wants to become a patron of the charity.
EPPING: Golfing teens raise cash for charity
TWO big-hearted teens raised over £500 for charity when they set up their own golfing tournament.
Joshua Mills and Harrison Mosley, both 13, and both members of Epping Golf Club, in Fluxs Lane, decided to invite their friends over for a sponsored round.
They organised the tournament, which included a raffle, on behalf of Epping-based children’s charity The Dream Factory which is run by Joshua’s mum Avril Mills.
She said: “They both play golf and they know about fund-raising and said they wanted to do something. I left them to it.
Epping: Celebrities turn out for Charity launch
A CHARITY which grants wishes and dreams to ill children and young adults has been launched in Epping – with the help of a host of celebrities.
Hardman film star Ray Winstone, who lives in Roydon, and Allo Allo actress Vicki Michelle were among those at Bar 195 in Epping High Street last Thursday evening to officially launch The Dream Factory.
The charity has been formed by Avril Mills, former fundraiser and events manager at Haven House Childrens’ Hospice, in Woodford Green.
Avril was inspired by her son, Oliver, who died of leukaemia at the age of nine.
While Oliver, a big EastEnders fan, was having treatment in hospital, Avril arranged for him to meet soap stars Ross Kemp, Martine McCutcheon and Sid Owen. She went on to organise a wish for another patient who had always wanted to meet the Arsenal football team.