Press & Media
St Edwards School Support Local Charities
Students will help children and young adults with life threatening conditions and severe disabilities make their dreams come true.
Youngsters at St Edward’s School and Sixth Form College, London Road, Romford, will be holding events to raise money for The Dream Factory, a charity based in Hainault.
This comes after each of the five colleges that make up the school chose a local charity “to support and engage,” in the words of deputy headteacher David Torn.
Young people in Mars College will help people from three to 25-years-old achieve their dreams by raising money for The Dream Factory.
Avril at Muller Anniversary Games
A MOTHER who was inspired to start a charity after the death of her son was a guest at top sporting games.
Hainault-based The Dream Factory founder, Avril Mills, was invited to the Muller Anniversary Games at the Olympic Stadium by charity patron, wheelchair racer Anne Wafula Strike.
She was joined by fellow patron, Vicki Michelle, and met a range of athletes and celebrities including runners Kriss Akabusi and Colin Jackson television presenter Eamonn Holmes.
Ms Mills said: “We had a lovely day in the VIP area where I was introduced to many amazing athletes and celebrities; many of whom signed an official London 2012 brochure which I intend to auction at our Hollywood Ball.
Christmas Draw in Epping High Street
A charity got an early Christmas present this week, receiving over £1,700 for children and young adults with life limiting conditions.
Essex-based charity The Dream Factory held their first Christmas draw with new mascot Olivia, at the iCandy store in Epping High Street on Wednesday (16 December).
Winning prizes at the festive event included a Samsung smart television, a giant Christmas hamper and a magnum of Moet champagne.
Intu Lakeside Shopping Centre Donate £25,000
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.
Christmas Party at Waltham Abbey Marriott Hotel
Santa Claus himself was among the famous faces this weekend, as a charity provided the dream start to the festive season for a group of children.
On Sunday (November 22), the Marriott Hotel in Waltham Abbey hosted the Dream Factory’s annual Christmas party. The Essex-based charity hopes to brighten the lives of children and young adults with life limiting conditions.
Elsa and Anna from Frozen, Star Wars’ Stormtroopers and Marco the Clown all made appearances as the 80 children and their siblings enjoyed activities such as face painting, gingerbread decorating and party games.
Restaurant Staff Raise £1,300
Staff at a restaurant have raised £1,300 to grant the wishes of terminally ill children.
La Sala in Chigwell Road, Woodford Green, hosted a lunch to raise money for children’s charity, The Dream Factory, which was set up in 2008 by Epping resident Avril Mills.
The lunch, which was attended by two of the charity’s patrons, Work and Pensions Secretary and local MP Iain Duncan Smith and Vicki Michelle, also consisted of a raffle and auction of a bottle of House of Commons whisky signed by Prime Minister David Cameron and Mr Duncan Smith which raised £700. Ms Mills said: “It was a fabulous lunch.
Cockney Night Raises £6,400
A “right old cockney knees-up” has raised £6,400 for a children’s charity.
The fundraiser for the Epping-based Dream Factory was held this Sunday at the Marriott Hotel in Waltham Abbey.
The event, which was arranged by the Pearly Kings and Queens Society, featured traditional cockney fare such as pie and mash for the 160 attendees.
Among the donations was £250 raised for a bottle of whiskey signed by prime minister David Cameron and MP Iain Duncan Smith, a patron of the Dream Factory.
The Dream Factory’s Cockney Night
A ‘right old cockney knees-up’ is to raise money to make ‘dreams come true’ for children with life-limiting conditions.
The fundraising event for The Dream Factory will be held at the Marriott Hotel, in Old Shire Lane, Waltham Abbey, and will serve pie and mash.
The Pearly Kings and Queens will provide the entertainment followed by The Fabulous Blues Brothers band and a raffle.
Wanstead Golf Club Raise 7k
A golf club raised £7,100 for a charity which “makes dreams come true” for children with life-limiting conditions last year.
Epping charity, the Dream Factory, say they will use the money raised by Wanstead Golf Club to send “two or three” families to Disneyland Paris.
The fundraising year began with the captain’s drive-in which was attended by professional golfer Simon Khan whose signed golf bag attracted a £1,000 bid at auction.
Other events included golf days and social events as well as donations from members.
Charity raises 70k at Fundraising ball
A charity fundraising ball has raised more than £70,000 to make the dreams of terminally ill children come true. The Dream Factory, which was launched by Avril Mills from Epping six years ago, hosted the Monte Carlo-themed event at Orsett Hall in Orsett, on Saturday.
Performances by X-Factor singer Lydia Lucy and acrobatic and dance act Donovan and Rebecca were enjoyed by over 280 guests.
An auction hosted by EastEnders actor and comedian Terry Alderton included a host of donated ‘lots’ including signed football shirts from Pele and David Beckham and signed memorabilia from Olly Murs and Kylie Minogue.
Pub to support children’s charity
A community pub will host a beer festival this weekend in a bid to raise money for terminally ill children and young adults.
The Theydon Oak pub in Coopersale Street, Epping, has dedicated two weekends to raising funds for Hainault charity The Dream Factory.
The Dream Factory, which launched in 2008, has already granted almost 300 wishes for those aged three to 25 years and have life threatening conditions or severe disabilities.
Avril Mills to receive British Empire Medal
A mother who turned family tragedy into determination to help others has been included on the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Avril Mills, 55, from Epping, learned five weeks ago that she will receive the British Empire Medal.
She set up the Hainault-based charity The Dream Factory six years ago after losing her son to Leukaemia in 1999. The charity grants wishes to seriously ill children.
Speaking after the announcement on Friday, she said: “I had to read the letter three or four times to make sure I had got it right,” She said. “I was amazed, just totally overwhelmed. “The letter tells you that you can’t tell anyone until 10.30am on June 13. It was so hard not to be able to tell my mum and dad.
Pupil raises £500 for Dream Factory
A pupil at Epping St John’s School has singlehandedly raised £500 for charity The Dream Factory.
Molly Curtis, 13 from North Weald, organised a sponsored swim herself, setting a target of swimming 100 lengths in an hour.
The year eight student however, finished in well under an hour so, supported by her parents and brother, pushed herself to complete 120 lengths.
The Dream Factory Pair set off on Arctic Challenge
The founder of charity The Dream Factory and a colleague have set off on a 156-mile journey across the Arctic.
Avril Mills, the Epping mother who founded the charity six years ago following the death of her son Oliver from leukaemia, is accompanied by Martin Bye, the charity’s dream coordinator, on the Husky Sled Challenge.
The trip will see them cover 156 miles with a team of huskies and is set to raise £11,000 for the charity, which makes dreams come true for children and young adults with life-limiting conditions.
The pair set off from Epping on Saturday and flew from Heathrow to Tromso in Norway for the start of the seven-day trek. They will be joined by 13 other fundraisers, who will have to learn how to guide huskies, put up their own tent, cook their own food and get used to sleeping on reindeer skins. The challenge finishes in Sweden.
M & S Launch Easter Egg Collection for The Dream Factory
Marks & Spencer in High Street, Epping, is collecting eggs, along with Epping St John’s School and Ivy Chimneys Primary School, for The Dream Factory’s Easter party on Thursday, April 17.
The party, to be held at The Waltham Abbey Marriott hotel, will feature a hunt for eggs donated to the charity.
The children will be joined by three of the charity’s patrons – ‘Allo ‘Allo star Vicki Michelle, former boxing champion Colin McMillan and EastEnders star Terry Alderton – for a day of face painting, glitter tattoos and other entertainment.
he Dream Factory grants wishes for seriously ill and disabled children.
