Sir Bobby’s own charity celebrates its first birthday

Feb 20 2010 by Tom Mullen, The Journal

LADY Elsie led the celebrations as her late husband Sir Bobby Robson’s cancer research centre marked its first birthday yesterday.

Newcastle United legend Peter Beardsley and current goalkeeper Steve Harper were also present at a special cake presentation at the Freeman Hospital unit.

The Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre was set up a year ago using funding from the late football legend’s charitable foundation.

Since then, the centre has treated 560 patients from Northumberland, Tyneside, Wearside, County Durham, Teesside and Cumbria.

It helps ensure people in the North East have early access to treatments for cancer, which are often so new that they are not yet available through the NHS.

The celebrations took place a day after Sir Bobby’s own birthday. The former England, Newcastle and Ipswich manager would have been 77 on February 18.

Lady Robson said: “My husband was very proud that this centre carried his name. He put so much into fundraising for his Foundation and I think he enjoyed managing a team again.

“It certainly wasn’t easy for him given his own fight against cancer at that time, but he was determined to do what he could to help other cancer patients in the North East.

“My three sons and I are very committed to continuing fundraising in Bobby’s name. We’re lucky to have the help of wonderful patrons like Alan Shearer and Steve Gibson and the football clubs in the North East and in Ipswich are all being very supportive of our efforts.