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Dream Flight

"It was only meant to be a one-off trip but even so we were told by people it would never happen. It was seen as too ambitious."

How was DREAMFLIGHT started?
The original concept was devised in 1986 by Derek Pereira and Patricia Pearce, together with a small group of British Airways staff. Their dedication culminated in a Boeing 747 full of 288 sick children and their adult helpers, flying off to Florida for five magical days in November 1987. The original Dreamflight was only intended to be a 'one off' trip but the '87 flight was such a success that it has now become an annual event.

What is Dreamflight?

Dreamflight is a registered UK charity whose purpose is to send seriously ill children on their 'holiday of a lifetime' to Florida. While many charities devote their energies to funding long term research projects or the purchase of medical equipment, we think it is just as important to bring some fun and joy into the lives of children who perhaps can't wait long enough for the breakthrough they need or whose illnesses and treatments have brought pain distress and disruption to their lives

How is it organised?

Whilst most of the organisers are currently employed by British Airways and the airline gives us considerable support, the charity is a purely staff initiative and is therefore independent both financially and organisationally from the airline. All the fund raising projects are undertaken by the individuals on a self financing basis and the organisation is undertaken by volunteers.

Fund Raising

The lifeblood of Dreamflight is its army of volunteer fund raisers, for without these people the trips would just not be possible. The costs are considerable, including the charter of a Boeing 747, accommodation in London prior to the trip and hotel costs in Orlando - over 200 rooms at full board. We also have costs of transport to and from the hotel. Although many suppliers of services offer DF generous discounts, we still talk in terms of at least £2000 per child or around £400,000 for the complete trip! At the beginning it seemed an impossible task but they had underestimated the outstanding generosity and the sheer hard work which so many people were prepared to invest in Dreamflight. The ingenuity of the fundraisers is also staggering and each year people seem to think up new and novel ways of raising money, for example World-flight. It is particularly rewarding to see Dreamflight children from earlier years becoming fund raisers so that future children can benefit
DF have recently been fortunate to attract corporate sponsorship which has enabled the charity to be placed on a more stable financial footing. And we must not forget the many companies who generously donate services or products in support of fund raising events - without them many of the more ambitious projects would be nonstarters

The Holiday

The atmosphere as the children gather in the hotel at Heathrow on the afternoon before the trip is electric. Many of them will not have experienced a proper holiday before; few will have been able to travel abroad, away from their doctors and none of them have any idea of the excitement, fun and thrills they will have in the eight days to come. As the parents leave their children in the care of Dreamflight, it's time to make new friends at the pre-departure party. Even the 'quiet, shy' children we've been told about become mysteriously noisy and extrovert!
The long flight is an opportunity for the escorts to get to know the children in their care and the party atmosphere on board sets the scene for the week to come. For those still awake, the night time drive from the airport to the hotel is straight out of the movies, with out friends from the Orange County police blocking all the roads and giving our convoy of twelve coaches a high speed escort right to out hotel. The days that follow are sheer magic; there's something for everyone. Walt Disney Magic Kingdom is just that and the wealth of fantasy on show has every child wide-eyed and delighted to be able to see their favorite cartoon characters in real life.
The two days spent at Universal and MGM studios give the kids a chance to immerse themselves right into their favorite films - King Kong breathes banana breath over them as he tips their cable car off the rails, while another group is flying 'Back to the Future' in the most thrilling ride imaginable. ET, Ghostbusters, Ninja Turtles, Earthquake and the Muppets, help to fill these amazing days. Then of course comes the great favorite - Seaworld. Here they can feed and stroke the dolphins before marveling at the antics of killer whales and then walk through the scary shark tunnel.
It can be difficult for an outsider to believe that many of the happy and energetic children they see dashing round the attractions could have any problems in life. But find time to talk to them about their life experiences and you can't help but be impressed and humbled by their courage. Those who do get the chance to meet these children understand exactly how important a holiday like Dreamflight is to them.

The Escorts

Our Children are divided into groups of 16 and each group is looked after by eight volunteer adults headed by a group leader. The escorts in each group always include one doctor, one senior nurse, a physiotherapist and two nurses, with the remaining places usually filled by non-medical helpers, people who have worked hard for Dreamflight throughout the year. Each escort is personally responsible for two children. Their duties begin before the trip, liaising with the parents to ensure travel details and documentation are all understood and taken care of. The escorts also receive a detailed briefing about their children's' medical requirements, drugs and their treatment so that they are fully aware of each individual's needs. The escorts' daily responsibility runs from 6.00am through 9.00pm. Thereafter, a night shift of nurses take over to look after the children who require attention during the night

The Children

DF cannot offer every deserving child in the country, the chance of a holiday to Disney World, so they look for children whose illnesses have made their lives so difficult, so unpleasant, that they simply deserve a treat like this. DF's basic criteria require that they are between the ages of eight and fourteen and are currently or have been seriously ill. They take advice from the medical profession and invite pediatricians from all areas of the UK, to propose children who they feel will benefit from Dreamflight. Naturally, they receive many more nominations than they can cope with.
A number of factors are considered when making the selection, including the fitness for the long flight and busy holiday. The level of medical attention required is important. Naturally, most of the children will need supervised medication or some form of treatment, but DF always remember that this is a holiday, so the attention they require must not be intrusive as to risk spoiling the fun. Similarly there has to be a maximum number of wheelchair cases that we can physically cope with on each trip.
DF's aim, is to select children with a cross section of illnesses and conditions but at the end of the day, we are faced with the heartrending situation of turning down many deserving children for no other reason than sheer weight of numbers.

A word from the patrons
If anyone has any doubts about the value and impact of the Dreamflight charity on the lives of sick children, they should watch the faces of youngsters boarding a BA 747 for their trip of a lifetime to Disneyworld in Florida.

For several years now I've been privileged to join the farewell party in a huge Heathrow hangar just prior to the October boarding and departure. I tell you it would take the stoniest of hearts not to be profoundly moved. 192 children, some attached to oxygen tubes,
some showing the effects of chemotherapy, some with major coordination problems, amazingly find the courage to smile and seemingly forget for a while their sicknesses and disabilities. As they walk or are carried or wheeled by their carers to the aircraft behind the Welsh Guards Band, I'm always humbled by their courage and inspired by the selflessness and compassion of so many of BA's staff and other escorts who give up their leave to accompany these children.

I've often said that I find involvement with a charity often brings me far more than I could ever offer. Unarguably, that's true of Dreamflight.

Sir Cliff Richard OBE