Dreams Come True
Dreams Come True is a UK national wish-granting charity, founded in 1987, that exclusively serves children aged 0–19 with disabilities, serious illness, or life-limiting conditions living in the highest areas of social deprivation. It delivers Individual, Community, and Urgent dreams funded entirely by voluntary income on a £1.1M annual budget.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersLiphook, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Dreams Come True does
Dreams Come True is a UK national wish-granting charity established in 1987 and registered in England and Wales (charity 800248) and Scotland (SC043878), led by CEO Lisa King, OBE, with headquarters in Godalming, Surrey. It is the only UK wish-granting charity that solely serves children aged 0–19 with a disability, serious illness, or life-limiting condition who also live in the highest areas of social deprivation, distinguishing it from peers such as Make-A-Wish. The organisation delivers three dream categories — Individual Dreams (e.g., adapted trikes, iPads with communication apps, bedroom makeovers, family breaks), Community Dreams (sensory rooms, sensory gardens, hospital interactive screens, accessibility equipment for SEN schools), and Urgent Dreams for children with short life expectancy — plus the Small Change, Big Impact Programme for daily-use equipment.
The charity operates on a non-proprietary technology stack consisting of a website with a donation portal (preset tiers of £5, £15, £40 and custom amounts), a referral hub for medical/healthcare/social-care professionals, and standard social media channels. There is no API, no SDK, and no AI component; the digital layer is functional rather than differentiated. Service delivery depends on human relationships with a professional referrer network and named delivery partners such as Sense Sensory, rather than on technology.
Commercially, Dreams Come True operates as a non-profit funded entirely by voluntary income — no government funding is received. Revenue streams include individual donations (one-off and regular giving), corporate partnerships (BSI is a named 2025 partner), events and challenges (London Marathon, Dublin Marathon, Great North Run, Thames Bridges Trek, Halloween Walk), the annual Dream Ball gala (£125,000 raised in 2024, ~12% of the £1.1M annual budget), and gifts in kind. Annual operating budget is £1,100,000, headcount sits in the 101–250 band, the charity targets 4,600 children in 2025, and it has fulfilled over 6,300 cumulative dreams since founding.
Dreams Come True firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dreams Come True
- Legal name
- Dreams Come True Charity
- Website
- https://dreamscometrue.uk.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Dreams Come True is a UK national wish-granting charity, founded in 1987, that exclusively serves children aged 0–19 with disabilities, serious illness, or life-limiting conditions living in the highest areas of social deprivation. It delivers Individual, Community, and Urgent dreams funded entirely by voluntary income on a £1.1M annual budget.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dreams Come True industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charitable Wish-Granting Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)
Keywords
Where Dreams Come True is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Liphook
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Dreams Come True business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters via website, with preset amounts (£5, £15, £40) and custom options. Regular giving programs available.
- Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses for funding, gifts in kind, and collaborative wish fulfillment. BSI supported Birmingham Children's Hospital interactive screens project.
- Events and Challenges: Registration fees and fundraising from events including marathons, walks, and challenges. Charity gala Dream Ball.
- Gifts in Kind: Non-cash donations from partners and supporters contributing equipment, services, or experiences for children's dreams.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One-time | £5 Donation - Communication Aid |
| Unit Pricing | One-time | £15 Donation - Mobility Aid |
| Unit Pricing | One-time | £40 Donation - Family Experience |
| Unit Pricing | One-time | £25 Donation - Communication Technology |
| Unit Pricing | One-time | £100 Donation - Sensory Room/Equipment |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year campaign | £25,000 Campaign Target |
| Unit Pricing | Annual event | £125,000 Annual Gala |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels11 records
Dreams Come True product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dreams Come True is a UK national wish-granting charity that fulfils dreams for children aged 0-19 with a disability, serious illness, or life-limiting condition who also live in the highest areas of social deprivation. The charity delivers three programme tracks — Individual Dreams (e.g., adapted trikes, iPads with communication apps, bedroom makeovers, family breaks), Community Dreams (sensory rooms, sensory gardens, hospital interactive screens, accessibility infrastructure), and Urgent Dreams (expedited wishes for children with short life expectancy) — funded entirely through voluntary income, corporate partnerships, gifts in kind, and events.
Product overview
Dreams Come True is a national wish-granting charity operating as a unified service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering is the Dream Granting Service, which processes referrals from medical and social care professionals to deliver three types of dreams: Individual Dreams (personalized wishes like adapted trikes, iPads with communication apps, bedroom makeovers, and family holidays), Community Dreams (shared experiences for groups such as sensory rooms, sensory gardens, and hospital interactive screens), and Urgent Dreams (expedited wishes for children with short life expectancy). Supporting initiatives include the Small Change, Big Impact Programme for daily-use equipment, the 25 by 25 Campaign for targeted fundraising, the Referrer Network for professional referrals, World Dream Day awareness events, and the annual Dream Ball gala. The organization does not offer a technology product in the traditional SaaS sense; its primary digital presence is an informational and donation-processing website.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 25 by 25 Campaign: Campaign to raise £25,000 by World Dream Day (25 September) for community dreams.
- Small Change, Big Impact Programme
- World Dream Day
Products and services
- Individual Dreams
- Community Dreams Shared dreams benefiting multiple children at SEN schools, children's centres, and hospitals, including sensory rooms, sensory gardens, interactive screens in hospital departments, and accessibility infrastructure such as Drive Decks for wheelchair users.
- Urgent Dreams Expedited wishes for children with short life expectancy, providing magical experiences during critical times.
- Small Change, Big Impact Programme Programme providing daily-use equipment and technology — such as iPads with communication apps and adaptive equipment — to improve the lives of isolated children.
- Referrer Network Network for medical, healthcare, and social care professionals to submit dream referrals on behalf of eligible children, with subscribers receiving updates and early access to the referral portal.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 6,300 children and young adults have had dreams fulfilled.
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Dreams Come True
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Dreams Come True technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Dreams Come True partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Sense SensorysupportingSense Sensory provided specialist equipment design and installation for the Halton Lodge Children's Centre sensory room refurbishment project.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Dreams Come True competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- WellChild: UK charity supporting seriously ill children and their families through practical support, equipment and family services. Comparable target population (sick/disabled children) and UK footprint but broader service portfolio than wish-granting.
- Sense: Major UK disability charity supporting people with complex disabilities including deafblindness. Comparable on the disability-support mission and an active partner in Dreams Come True's Community Dreams projects (e.g., Halton Lodge).
- Together for Short Lives: UK charity for children with life-limiting conditions and palliative care needs. Comparable on serving seriously ill children but focused on systemic support for children's palliative care services rather than direct wish fulfillment.
- Variety – the Children's Charity: Established UK children's charity supporting disabled, disadvantaged and sick children through equipment, experiences and grants. Overlaps with Dreams Come True on serving disabled/disadvantaged children but operates a broader mission without wish-granting as its core.
- Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent): Major UK charity supporting children and young people with cancer and their families. Comparable on serving seriously ill children in the UK with multi-channel support, though condition-specific (cancer) rather than multi-condition wish-granting.
Direct peers
- Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity: UK wish-granting charity for seriously and terminally ill children aged 3–17. Direct competitor in the same product category (individual wish fulfillment), serving a comparable beneficiary base.
- Starlight Children's Foundation: UK charity that grants wishes and provides play/distraction services for seriously ill children. Direct peer in wish-granting and hospital play services, with overlapping beneficiary population of children with serious illness.
- Make-A-Wish UK: The leading UK national wish-granting charity for seriously ill children. Most directly comparable peer in product/service category (wish fulfillment for children with critical illness), differing primarily in that Make-A-Wish is not restricted by a poverty/deprivation criterion.
Emerging players
- Solving Kids' Cancer: UK charity focused on children with childhood cancers. Comparable on serving seriously ill children and their families but narrower condition scope and primarily funding research/treatment rather than wish fulfillment.
Regional players
- Dream Foundation (US): US-based wish-granting charity for adults and children with life-limiting illnesses. Operates the same core product (wish fulfillment) but in a different geography and with broader age eligibility, making it a useful model-comparable rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dreams Come True social profiles
Digital presenceDreams Come True financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dreams Come True leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Dreams Come True funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dreams Come True M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Dreams Come True
What does Dreams Come True do?
Dreams Come True is a UK national wish-granting charity that fulfils dreams for children aged 0-19 with a disability, serious illness, or life-limiting condition who also live in the highest areas of social deprivation. The charity delivers three programme tracks — Individual Dreams (e.g., adapted trikes, iPads with communication apps, bedroom makeovers, family breaks), Community Dreams (sensory rooms, sensory gardens, hospital interactive screens, accessibility infrastructure), and Urgent Dreams (expedited wishes for children with short life expectancy) — funded entirely through voluntary income, corporate partnerships, gifts in kind, and events.
Is Dreams Come True a public or private company?
Dreams Come True is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Dreams Come True founded?
Dreams Come True was founded in 1987. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Dreams Come True based?
Dreams Come True is headquartered in Liphook, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Dreams Come True make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships, events and Challenges and gifts in Kind.
Who are Dreams Come True's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are WellChild, Sense, Together for Short Lives, Variety – the Children's Charity and Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent). Direct peers are Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity, Starlight Children's Foundation and Make-A-Wish UK. Solving Kids' Cancer is listed as an emerging player. Dream Foundation (US) is listed as a regional player.
Does Dreams Come True have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dreams Come True.
What industry is Dreams Come True in?
Dreams Come True's product category is Charitable Wish-Granting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAG, Disability Services & Independent Living Support, with a secondary code of BPAGADAH, Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.