Press & Media
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.
