Press & Media
Speaking Out: Avril Mills on the Dream Factory
Avril Mills, the founder of Hainault-based charity, the Dream Factory, has spoken to the Guardian about the success of her charity over the past five and a half years and her hopes for the future.
Terry Alderton Helps Raise Money for The Dream Factory
A soap star joined forces with Santa to raise money for sick children yesterday.
Eastenders actor Terry Alderton, The Dream Factory Patron, spent the day at the Exchange Shopping Centre in Ilford helping young people write Christmas letters.
Arctic Sled Challenge
The founder of a Hainault charity is trekking across the Arctic to raise money for more ill children’s wishes to come true.
Avril Mills started The Dream Factory after her nine-year-old son Oliver died from leukaemia in 2008.
The charity has now granted more than 220 wishes to young people with disabilities and terminal illnesses, including new bikes and toys, holidays and meeting celebrities.
Avril and dream co-ordinator Martin Bye will drive a pack of huskies 156 miles through the Arctic over seven days.
Ben Murphy lost more than 5 stone for The Dream Factory
Ben Murphy, from Epping, lost five stone 12lbs in just eight months, raising thousands for the Dream Factory, which grants wishes for ill children.
The 29-year-old has gone from weighing 26 stone, to 20 stone and 2lbs, something which he believes is a major accomplishment. He said: “Exercise was always a dirty word to me and I would do all I could to avoid it prior to beginning this challenge.
“There have been times when I thought about giving up but knowing what this money means to such an amazing charity kept me on track. I am so grateful to everyone who has been so generous in their giving. “It is absolutely my intention to continue to lose weight.
Former Mayor Completing Weight Loss Challenge
A former mayor is close to hitting a weight loss target for charity.
Ben Murphy, 29, of Epping Forest, needs to lose one more stone to raise £3,500 for The Dream Factory, which grants wishes to seriously ill children.
Mr Murphy, who weighed 26 stone at the beginning of the challenge in January, hopes to lose the fifth stone by the end of August.
Children create small businesses to raise money for charities
Teams of business savvy children are putting their skills to the test by creating small businesses to raise money for charity.
Children at Manford Primary School, Manford Way, Chigwell developed their own small businesses to raise money for The Dream Factory, Fowler Road, Hainault.
For three weeks, children learnt about how businesses operate and how to market products to the wider community.
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.
