- My Account
- Logout
- Register
- Login
Sir Bobby opens cancer foundation
Related Articles
25 January 2008
The former England and Newcastle United manager hopes to raise at least £500,000 to help equip a specialist unit for the early detection and treatment of the disease.
Sir Bobby, who is battling cancer for the fifth time and has been told that this time it is incurable, said he wished the foundation to be his legacy to the world.
The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation will initially focus on the early detection and treatment of cancer and will also help support clinical trials of promising new treatments to tackle the disease.
Its first goal is to raise the money urgently required to set up The Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre at the new Northern Centre for Cancer Care in Newcastle. The money raised will fund dedicated research facilities including a 12-bed unit with treatment rooms, a state-of-the-art laboratory and consulting facilities, all of which is being constructed at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.
The 75-year-old set up the foundation after being asked for help by the oncologist treating him, Dr Ruth Plummer.
He said: "I have had cancer five times now but I have had a wonderful life and I feel lucky to be alive. I owe my life to the people who have cared for me and treated me during the last 15 years in which I have had the disease.
"My oncologist Dr Ruth Plummer told me about a wonderful new unit they hoped to open at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle for the early detection and treatment of cancer. But she told me there was no money to equip the unit, which it is hoped will be open by October, and asked me if I knew anyone who could help.
"I could not believe what she was telling me; so I spoke to my wife and some very good people close to me and I decided to use my name to create the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, in the hope we can raise a lot of money very quickly. We want to help create a unit which will be not just the best in the region but the envy of the nation.
"I think I might be remembered for what I did in football. But the legacy I would like to leave behind is what I tried to do to help people with cancer live longer."
Top stories in News in brief
News in brief in Pictures
Top stories in News in brief
News in brief in Pictures
-
London gets ready for the Diamond Jubilee - in pictures
-
EXCLUSIVE: I won't play with Joey Barton, says Adel Taarabt
-
Diamond Jubilee: Boat by boat, here is where to watch the Queen's Thames flotilla - VIDEO
-
Duchess of Cambridge is pretty in pink at her first Buckingham Palace garden party
-
News pictures of the day
-
Locked up and banned: The Tube drunk whose vile racist rant was caught on film (video)
-
London 2012 Olympics: Raising the bar and the Games haven't even started yet. Price of toasting Team GB is £6 a pint! -
Timebomb ticking in Thames Estuary could put Boris Island plans in jeopardy -
Regent’s Park rapist: Teenage jogger assaulted by stranger in terrifying 7am attack -
Duchess of Cambridge is pretty in pink at her first Buckingham Palace garden party
The O2
Check out the cool stuff happening under our tent such as the hottest gigs, comedy, sport, films, clubs, bars, restaurants and much more.
A home to be proud of with Halifax
Download the Halifax's brilliant, free new Home Finder app, and take all the pain out of finding your dream home.
Can you imagine a career in teaching?
Be inspired to teach - let real teachers show you how rewarding the job can be.
Playing a game-changing role during the Games
Cisco is providing the solutions for London 2012's complex IT needs.
Win a Silverstone track day with Zantac 75
Feel the burn of a different kind - 20 Silverstone motoring experiences to be won
Celebrate with MARTINI®
This weekend toast one royal with another and make your Jubilee sparkle with a MARTINI Royale.
Reader Offers email A fantastic selection of
offers, giveaways and
promotions.
Why I think doctors are right to strike
Family pay tribute to the London man who gave his life to save a five-year-old girl from drowning
Eton schoolboys fly Games flag on Everest
Horror on the 5.53! Commuter dragged 200 feet after getting hand trapped on train
Shrimpy's - review