FROM WORLD CUP TO TEA CUPS - ‘BIG JACK’ SHOWS HE’S A WINNER

Jack Charlton may soon be as well known for tea cups as World Cups by promoting a new tea, which is helping raise money for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

The north east football legend is now ‘the face’ of Northumberland Tea alongside the light-hearted slogan “The best cup since 1966” referring to Jack, and English football’s, finest hour – winning the World Cup under Sir Alf Ramsey.

The tea is the creation of Corbridge couple Bill and Helen Logan, with the help of expert blender and importer James Pogson.  And, because Helen sadly lost both her mum and dad to cancer within the last three years, they were keen to do something that would also support the work of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

Helen says: “We spent several days with James learning how to create our blend.  Tasting teas from Kenya, Assam and Ceylon, which all have their own distinctive characteristics.

“We came up with a few variations of our tea and then tested them extensively with people in our region until we came up with the favourite.

“We love it and were thrilled when Jack agreed.  To have a World Cup winner’s backing is quite something and makes our support of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation all the more fitting.”

A percentage of the profits of Northumberland Tea will be donated to the cancer charity Sir Bobby launched in 2008.  The Foundation has gone on to raise more than £5.2million to find more effective ways to detect and treat cancer.

Helen adds: “My mum Margaret died in 2010 after being ill for just six weeks and my dad Michael died in 2012 from lung cancer aged 70.  He was a fit, strong farmer before his diagnosis.

“Bill and I felt very strongly about supporting the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation as my dad benefited from care funded by the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.  We hope, in a small way, that we are repaying a debt of gratitude as well as helping other local people facing cancer.”

Jack was very happy to put his name to Northumberland Tea and help his friend Sir Bobby Robson’s cancer charity in the process.

Jack says: “We’ve moved from coffee to tea now.  It’s all we’ve got in the house!  It’s very nice and all the family are using it.

“And I’m pleased it’s helping raise money for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.  I’ve known Bob for most of my life, starting from when he played for Fulham and then when he went into management. I played against him, of course, and used to see him quite often in London and he tended to be at most of the international matches.

“Then more recently he came home to the North East and when he left Newcastle he had an office in the city and we used to get to together now and again. The Foundation is a great charity and fantastic that Bobby has a legacy which helps out so many people. We’re both men of the region, but he was a Durham lad.  He was a good pal of mine.”

Bill, Helen and Jack were proud to hand over the first box of Northumberland Tea off the production line to Lady Elsie Robson.

Lady Elsie says: “I think this is a wonderful idea.  Tea is usually the first thing I think about in the morning.  In fact, I can’t really think properly about anything else until I’ve had my first cup!

“It’s very good of Bill, Helen and Jack to think of helping the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation like this. 

“And I hope the tea is something people will enjoy all the more knowing they’re helping Bob’s charity too.”

Northumberland Tea is available from 100 retailers throughout north east England.  For further information please visit www.thenorthumberlandteacompany.com.

FOOTBALL FUND-RAISING HELPS FIGHT CANCER

A festival of five-a-side football is on offer next month (July) thanks to the return of the popular Robson 5s competition.

In aid of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, the Robson 5s features men’s, women’s and junior sections and is held each year at Soccerworld, Newcastle.

This is the tournament‘s fifth year and, once again, it is attracting teams from across the region.  In fact, event manager, Ian Carr, believes this year could be the best yet.

Ian, who organises the event along with Peter Hughes and Neal Eddy, says: “We’re really pleased with the number of teams already entered for this year’s Robson 5s.  We’ve also been sponsored by Karting North East which has helped a lot.

“Support for the tournament from all over the region just keeps building and it’s become a regular football fixture.

“It’s always a really good day’s football and we’re very grateful to all officials who give up their time to help.

“When we set out to do something to help the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation back in 2008 we had no idea we’d still be going five years on.  It’s something everyone involved with the event is really proud of.”

Teams already entered in the Robson 5s men’s section include Sunderland AFC fans ‘Ready To Go’ and the Army and, in the women’s section, Newcastle United FC, the Army and Fire Brigade.

Pauline Buglass, from the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, says: “We’re grateful to everyone involved in organising the Robson 5s.  It’s a wonderful way to raise money to help fight cancer.

“It’s always a competitive tournament and I’m sure this year will be no different. We hope the weather will be kind and that all the players and supporters enjoy the day.”

This year’s Robson 5s is on 7 July at Soccerworld, West Road, Newcastle.  For more information please visit www.therobsonfives.co.uk or call Ian Carr on 0753 8935 009.

NEW CHARITY DVD ‘ANOTHER (K)NIGHT TO REMEMBER’

Sir Bobby Robson – A Celebration, supported by Virgin Money, was a very special evening of music, memories and laughter.  Family, friends, musicians, comedians, football greats and admirers gathered on the banks of the Tyne on 18th February to remember Sir Bobby on the night he would have turned 80.

Tickets for the event sold out within hours and now, thanks to a new dvd released today (Tuesday 4th June), Sir Bobby Robson – A Celebration can be enjoyed by a much wider audience.

Raising funds for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, the dvd, Another (K)Night to Remember, includes all the highlights from the event including Sir Bobby’s ‘Desert Island Discs’ along with a host of funny and moving extra interviews from the likes of Paul Gascoigne, Bob Moncur and Lady Elsie.

Sir Bobby’s son Mark described the event at The Sage Gateshead as “one of the best nights of my life” and, as well as providing a fitting celebration of the football legend’s life, it also raised an incredible £80,000 for The Alan Shearer Foundation and Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

Lady Elsie says: “We thoroughly enjoyed the celebration of Bob’s birthday.  It was a wonderful night and we were surrounded by friends and well-wishers. Bob would have been in his element.

“It was just so special to have gathered together such a wonderful line up of performers and football people.  And to have raised so much money for charity too, really I’m just blown away.

“It says a lot about the commitment of everyone involved in the organisation of the night, the generosity of the sponsors Virgin Money and the people who gave up time to appear, that it all ran so smoothly.  People are still talking about it now and I’m sure the DVD will be very popular.”

The team behind this dvd, Brian and Helen Mawson, Geoff Wonfor and Ray Laidlaw, also produced the popular A Knight to Remember dvd in 2009, which has raised more than £100,000 for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

Paul Lloyd, Marketing Director of Virgin Money said: “We were proud to sponsor and support such a fantastic celebration of Sir Bobby's life on what would have been his 80th birthday and to have raised over £80,000 for such a great cause, seems perfectly apt.

“I look forward to watching the DVD and reliving the night many times over."

The charity night in February at The Sage Gateshead was originally planned with Sir Bobby’s involvement in 2009 and he filmed what became his last interviews to be shown at the event.

Hosted by Jim Rosenthal and former Lindisfarne singer Billy Mitchell, Sir Bobby Robson – A Celebration featured an amazing line-up of performers and football greats including Mark Knopfler, England legend Stuart Pearce, Joe McElderry, Northern Sinfonia - Orchestra of The Sage Gateshead, The Unthanks, Simon Day, Paul Whitehouse, Russell Watson, Alistair McGowan, Peter Brewis of Field Music, The Cornshed Sisters, Paul Smith of Maximo Park, Ruby Turner, Faryl Smith, Scarlet Street, Ben Ottewell of Gomez, Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas and Newcastle United’s Alan Pardew, Shola Ameobi  and Steve Harper.

Guests included Sir Bobby Robson Foundation Patrons with Middlesbrough FC chairman Steve Gibson and Sir Bobby’s Ipswich captain Mick Mills in attendance.  Sunderland AFC manager Martin O’Neill, Durham CCC’s Stephen Harmison, football legends Bob Moncur and Jack Charlton and Hebburn star Chris Ramsey in the audience.

Faryl Smith sang a stunning duet of Barcelona with Russell Watson and says: “It was a massive honour to be asked to join in the celebration for Sir Bobby and to help out with both charities.

“We’re a football mad family and I played for many years in a girls’ football team, so being involved was very rewarding.”

The event was organised by a dedicated and experienced team working on a voluntary basis.  They are music promoter, Adam Collerton; award-winning director, Geoff Wonfor; football and media producer, Oliver Fowler; tour manager, Sue Collier and event producer, Ray Laidlaw, formerly of Lindisfarne.

The team received tremendous support from The Sage Gateshead, performers, guests, local businesses and the football community - including Sir Bobby’s former clubs, FIFA, UEFA and The Football Association.

An ideal Father’s Day present, Another (K)Night to Remember is available in Windows, Newcastle, MetroCentre and Darlington priced at £16.99.  It is also available in T&G Alan, Morpeth, That’s Entertainment in Newcastle and the MetroCentre, Gojo in Hexham  and online from http://www.mawson-wareham.com/product.php?prodid=127.