Sir Bobby Foundation Marks 5th Birthday

25 March 2013, 07:35 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Former Newcastle United manager Sir Bobby Robson's cancer charity marks its fifth anniversary after raising more than £5 million to help detect and treat cancer

The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation began when ex-England manager Sir Bobby was receiving treatment for cancer at Newcastle's General Hospital in 2008.

His oncologist, Professor Ruth Plummer, said they needed £500,000 to complete a move to the new Northern Centre for Cancer Care, at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle.

As a result Sir Bobby launched the foundation to raise the money that was needed, and since his death has gone on to raise £5.2 million.

Former England captain and patron Alan Shearer said:
"Sir Bobby set off to raise £500,000, so for his charity to have raised over £5 million is a staggering achievement.

I'm proud to be a patron and I've been privileged to meet some amazing people through the charity.

The work the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has funded over the past five years is incredible and really pushing the boundaries of how we detect and treat cancer.

I've no doubts the next five years will be just as positive and bring even more advances.''

Since it began the foundation has funded new approaches to detecting and treating cancer as well as specialist training posts for a clinical trials doctor and nurse.

Ex-footballer Niall Quinn, also a patron, said:
"I feel privileged to have met Sir Bobby, let alone to have contributed in a small way to his foundation and the lesson I have taken from my involvement is that it's not what you have, it's what you leave behind."