![Anefo 934-2658, Bobby Robson, Netherlands, 14-06-1988](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Anefo_934-2658%2C_Bobby_Robson%2C_Netherlands%2C_14-06-1988.jpg)
The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is a British
cancer research
Cancer research is research into cancer to identify causes and develop strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure.
Cancer research ranges from epidemiology, molecular bioscience to the performance of clinical trials to evaluate and ...
charity
Charity may refer to:
Giving
* Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons
* Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing
* Ch ...
which raises money to fund the early detection and treatment of cancer, and
clinical trial
Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel vaccines, drugs, dietar ...
s of anti-cancer drugs. Based in the
North East of England
North East England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The region has three current administrative levels below the region level in the region; combined authority, unitary authority ...
, the Foundation was launched on 25 March 2008 in the name of
Sir Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William Robson (18 February 1933 – 31 July 2009) was an English footballer and football manager. His career included periods playing for and later managing the England national team and being a UEFA Cup-winning manager at Ipswich ...
, himself a cancer sufferer five times since 1992, and who died of the disease on 31 July 2009.
Activities
The initial goal of the Foundation was to raise £500,000 to fund equipment for a cancer research centre being built in the
Freeman Hospital
The Freeman Hospital is an 800-bed tertiary referral centre in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The hospital is managed by the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is a teaching hospital for Newcastle University.
History
The Free ...
,
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
,
to be named The Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre.
Once this was secure, the Foundation would turn its attention to funding other cancer related projects in the
North East of England
North East England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The region has three current administrative levels below the region level in the region; combined authority, unitary authority ...
.
The Foundation raised £260,000 in just over two weeks.
By November 2008 it had raised over £1 million, double the initial funding target of £500,000 set in February, which itself was passed in just eight weeks.
By 15 October 2009, just over 6 weeks after Sir Bobby's death and nearly 19 months after its launch, the charity had raised over £2 million.
It passed the £2.5m mark in September 2010.
The Foundation had its origins in a wish by Sir Bobby on the eve of his 75th birthday to leave behind a legacy for future cancer victims in the North East and give something back to the
NHS
The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
in return for the care he had received in his own battles against cancer.
In February 2007 Robson had been diagnosed with
terminal
Terminal may refer to:
Computing Hardware
* Terminal (electronics), a device for joining electrical circuits together
* Terminal (telecommunication), a device communicating over a line
* Computer terminal, a set of primary input and output devic ...
cancer, and had begun
chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherap ...
treatment to keep it under control.
Robson had initially been reluctant to use his name to raise money, but did so invoking the
Geordie
Geordie () is a nickname for a person from the Tyneside area of North East England, and the dialect used by its inhabitants, also known in linguistics as Tyneside English or Newcastle English. There are different definitions of what constitut ...
idiom, "
Shy bairns (children) get nothing".
The foundation is a
UK registered charity, and is based in
Swalwell
Swalwell is a village in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England, in the United Kingdom.
History
On 27 August 1640, an encampment of soldiers was gathered in the fields north of Whickham church on the slope down to Swalwell. This was part of the Roy ...
village,
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear () is a metropolitan county in North East England, situated around the mouths of the rivers Tyne and Wear. It was created in 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972, along with five metropolitan boroughs of Gateshead, Newcastl ...
.
The Foundation operates in an area stretching north to
Northumbria
la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum
, conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria
, common_name = Northumbria
, status = State
, status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...
, south to
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
, and west to
Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...
, and supports the activities of the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust
A foundation trust is a semi-autonomous organisational unit within the National Health Service in England. They have a degree of independence from the Department of Health and Social Care (and, until the abolition of SHAs in 2013, their local s ...
.
The Foundation is registered with the
Charity Commission
, type = Non-ministerial government department
, seal =
, seal_caption =
, logo = Charity Commission for England and Wales logo.svg
, logo_caption =
, formed =
, preceding1 =
, ...
as the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Charity
The idea for the foundation came about after Sir Bobby was told by his doctor that an upcoming
NHS
The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
cancer research centre had no funds in place for equipment.
This centre was the Early Cancer Trials Unit in the Northern Centre for Cancer Care (NCCC),
one of the largest cancer centres in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
The unit was to be part of the consolidation of the NCCC into a new £80 million centre being built at the Freeman Hospital.
Parts of the new NCCC site opened in October 2008, and it was due to be fully open by early 2009.
The 28 December 2008
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
match at
St James' Park
St James' Park is a football stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Premier League club Newcastle United F.C. With a seating capacity of 52,305 seats, it is the eighth largest football stadium in England.
St James' Park ...
between
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
and
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
was designated the Sir Bobby Robson day by the
Newcastle United Supporters Club, celebrating the man and raising funds for the foundation.
The Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre part of the NCCC was opened on 20 February 2008, staffed by academics from
Newcastle University
Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...
, and medics from the NHS Trust.
Robson opened the centre two days after his 76th birthday, with a surprise 15-minute speech, having been expected to attend the ceremony but not speak.
In front of guests including
Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello (; born 18 June 1946) is an Italian former professional football manager and player.
As a player, Capello represented SPAL 1907, Roma, Milan and Juventus. He played as a midfielder and won several trophies during his career which ...
,
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer CBE DL (born 13 August 1970) is an English football pundit and retired football player and manager who played as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in Premie ...
and
Peter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE (born 18 January 1961) is an English football coach and former footballer who played as a forward or midfielder between 1979 and 1999.
In 1987, he set a record transfer fee in the English game and represented his coun ...
, Robson vowed to carry on fundraising.
By the time of the research centre's opening, the Foundation had raised £1.2m. In addition to equipping the research centre, further fundraising by the Foundation had enabled the funding of two 3-year training posts to be supported by the centre, one being a research nursing position, and the other a fellowship doctor post.
The Foundation has also funded other projects. This has included the commitment to purchase a Biomarker Generator, an ultra-compact
cyclotron
A cyclotron is a type of particle accelerator invented by Ernest O. Lawrence in 1929–1930 at the University of California, Berkeley, and patented in 1932. Lawrence, Ernest O. ''Method and apparatus for the acceleration of ions'', filed: Janu ...
from Tennessee-based ABT Molecular Imaging. The first of its kind in Europe and second in the world, it was to be housed in a new clean-room facility built in the School of Chemistry at
Newcastle University
Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...
.
It has also raised money for relevant equipment and building works at the
Royal Victoria Infirmary
The Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) is a 673-bed tertiary referral hospital and research centre in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, with strong links to Newcastle University.
The hospital is part of the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Tru ...
hospital.
On 24 January 2009 it was announced the famous Italia '90 World Cup semi-final loss against West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
, in which Robson's England team were beaten 4–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw, would be replayed as the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match in aid of the Foundation. It was held on 26 July at St James' Park
St James' Park is a football stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Premier League club Newcastle United F.C. With a seating capacity of 52,305 seats, it is the eighth largest football stadium in England.
St James' Park ...
, and would feature players from the original World Cup squads and other special guests, with the winning team being awarded the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy.
Sir Bobby died on 31 July 2009, shortly after attending the tribute match. At the time of his death, the Foundation had raised £1.6m. Donations totalling £156,000 were received by the Foundation in the 18 days following his death.
The Foundation benefited from special commemorative kits and scarves produced for the Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
match between Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
and Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in EFL League One, League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
The club was founded in 1878 but did not ...
, two of Sir Bobby's former clubs, held on 26 September 2009 at Ipswich's Portman Road ground. After the game, which Newcastle won 4–0, the shirts were signed by the players and auctioned individually on eBay
eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became a ...
. The auction raised £31,187 for the Foundation, who pledged it to the building of a teenage cancer unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary
The Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) is a 673-bed tertiary referral hospital and research centre in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, with strong links to Newcastle University.
The hospital is part of the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Tru ...
.
On 15 October 2009, coinciding with the Foundation reaching the £2m mark, it was announced that Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer CBE DL (born 13 August 1970) is an English football pundit and retired football player and manager who played as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in Premie ...
was to be the Foundation's new patron
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
, after being asked by Sir Bobby's family to carry on his work.[ This was followed with the appointment of three further patrons during 2010. Steve Gibson, chairman of ]Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club ( ) is a professional football club in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, which competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium ...
, Mick Mills
Michael Dennis Mills MBE (born 4 January 1949) is an English former footballer who played for Ipswich Town, Southampton and Stoke City. He managed Stoke City, Colchester United and Birmingham City. During his career he achieved Ipswich Town's ...
, Robson's former captain at Ispwich Town F.C., and Niall Quinn
Niall John Quinn (honorary MBE; born 6 October 1966) is an Irish former professional footballer, manager, businessman and sports television pundit.
As a player he was a striker who played top flight football for Arsenal, Manchester City and ...
, chairman of Sunderland F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club (, ) is an English professional football club based in the city of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. Formed in 1879, Sunderland play in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club has won six ...
In November 2009 the Foundation was to launch a DVD titled a 'Knight To Remember', profiling Sir Bobby's life, including his last interviews and contributions from friends, family, and the world of football, with 75% of proceeds going to the Foundation. The DVD was to feature a version of ''Blaydon Races
"Blaydon Races" (Roud #3511) is a Geordie folk song written in the 19th century by Geordie Ridley, in a style deriving from music hall. It is frequently sung by supporters of Newcastle United Football Club, Newcastle Falcons rugby club, and D ...
'' sung by Jimmy Nail
James Michael Aloysius Bradford (born 16 March 1954), known as Jimmy Nail, is an English singer-songwriter, actor, film producer, and television writer. He played the role of Leonard "Oz" Osborne in the television show ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'' a ...
, Kevin Whately
Kevin Whately (born 6 February 1951) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Neville "Nev" Hope in the British comedy drama ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'', Robert "Robbie" Lewis in the crime dramas ''Inspector Morse'' 1987–2000 and ...
and Tim Healy of ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'' () is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven British construction workers who leave the United Kingdom to search for employment overseas. In the first series, the men live and work on a building site in ...
'' fame, with an additional verse written in dedication of Sir Bobby.
And now a word for Bobby Robson, hero of the Toon; A football man, a gentleman, who never let we doon; A friendly word, a cheery smile, and brave right to the end; We're proud to say your one of wors, Sir Bob... Auf Wiedersehen[
]
On 29 November 2009 the Foundation was to be presented with the John Fotheringham Award by the North East branch of the Football Writers' Association
The Football Writers' Association (FWA) is an association of football journalists and correspondents writing for English newspapers and agencies. It presents the Footballer of the Year Award, the oldest and most distinguished award given in the d ...
at their annual dinner.
Marking the occasion of gaining the support of the East Coast train operating company, the express franchise for Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
– Newcastle – London routes, in March 2011 Robson's widow Elsie and Alan Shearer named one of its locomotives ''Sir Bobby Robson''. The Foundation has also been promoted by the local bus company Go North East
Go North East operates both local and regional bus services in County Durham, Cumbria, Northumberland, North Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear, England. It was previously known as the Northern General Transport Company and Go-Ahead Northern. The compa ...
, known for their individual branding of routes, who from June 2010 branded four buses used on the 30-minute frequency X25 express, which runs between Langley Park where Robson lived, and Newcastle City Centre (Eldon Square bus station
Eldon Square Bus Station is one of two bus stations serving Newcastle City Centre. It is owned by Newcastle City Council and is managed by Nexus. The new glass-roofed bus station was built adjacent to the old bus station, on a former access roa ...
), with Foundation information and an image of Robson.[
The 2015 Auction organised by ]Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...
supporter Gina Long from Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
was another great success for the SBR Foundatio
In the 2016 New years Honours List, Gina Long was made an MBE for her charity work.
See also
* Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent cancer research organization. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and t ...
* Cancer in the United Kingdom The passing of the Cancer Act 1939 marked the political significance of cancer treatment. It envisaged a system of co-ordination of diagnosis and treatment under the control of County Councils and County Borough Councils which preceded the establis ...
References
External links
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation official site
Northern Centre For Cancer Care
at www.nhs.uk (NHS Choices)
Images of the Northern Centre For Cancer Care
Northern Centre For Cancer Care
at www.newcastle-hospitals.org.uk (Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre
page at the Newcastle University website
Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre
at www.newcastle-hospitals.org.uk (Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
Charity reaches £5m
The FA website
{{Authority control
Cancer organisations based in the United Kingdom
Cancer research
Organizations established in 2008