TRIBUTE TO “THE BEST PRESIDENT WE NEVER HAD”

The Lord’s Taverners will celebrate the life of “the best President we never had” - Sir Bobby Robson - on Friday 14 May at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, with Sir Alex Ferguson and many of Sir Bobby's famous footballing friends paying tribute.

Sir Bobby loved cricket as well as football and was due to succeed Mike Gatting as President of The Lord’s Taverners in 2007. Sadly, ill health prevented him from doing so but he remained a big supporter. Now cricket’s favourite Charity is paying tribute to one of football’s favourite sons.

Hosted by Bob “The Cat” Bevan, the event is being hosted jointly in aid of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and The Lord’s Taverners. Lady Elsie Robson and sons Andrew, Mark and Paul will be attending on the day.

Tickets cost £95 for members of The Lord's Taverners (£110 for Associates and Non Members) including pre-lunch drinks reception, three-course meal and half a bottle of wine per person. To book tickets please download the booking form or contact the Events Department on 020 7821 2828.

Glamorous Dinner Dance

Seaham Hall is hosting a dinner dance in aid of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation on Friday 30th April.

The night of glitz and glamour will commence at 7pm with arrival drinks and canapés followed by a five course dinner in the Ballroom.

Seaham Hall's talented chefs have created a menu to delight the palate and the evening’s entertainment will be provided by the fabulous Taylor Moon Band with dancing until the small hours.

Tickets are priced at £50 per person with £10 from each ticket sold being donated to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and further fundraising on the evening.

To book please call Seaham Hall on 0191 516 1400 or email kelly.beetham@seaham-hall.co.uk

ON YOUR FEET SOLDIER!

Soldier Angela Kelly from Sacriston, County Durham, is organising a sponsored walk in aid of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) Forces Help.

On Saturday 27 March Warrant Officer Kelly and her dog, Alan Shearer, will be walking the three miles from Sacriston, the birthplace of Sir Bobby Robson, to Langley Park where the football legend grew up.

She is appealing for people to join her and as well as the walk, other activities on the day include Beat the Goalie, Guess the Name of the Toy Soldier, face painting, a brass band and an aerobics warm up.

Angela, who is based at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham, says: “I’ve wanted to do this walk for some time because I really admire the hard work Sir Bobby put into his charity while he was so poorly himself.

“These are two charities which are very close to my heart because I love football and because of my role as a serving soldier.

“It won’t be anything like an army style march! This will be a fun day out for everyone who comes along and anyone like me who would like to bring their dogs is very welcome.”

The walk starts at 10.30am in Sacriston with registration from 9.45am. There is transport back to Sacriston after the walk where there will be a buffet and raffle and walkers will also receive a free goody bag.

Thanks to ongoing support, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has now raised over £2.2 million to fight cancer for the benefit of patients across the north east.

In addition to equipping the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre, the charity has funded a specialist research nurse and doctor and enhanced a children’s waiting area at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care.

It also recently contributed £30,000 to the new Teenage Cancer Unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. The Foundation will be announcing a very significant investment into cancer research equipment early this year.

The charity operates within the Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Trust and a wider cancer research network to provide services not currently funded by the NHS.

To make a donation, view messages of support, or for more information on the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, please visit www.sirbobbyrobsonfoundation.org.uk or donate by sending a cheque to Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, PO Box 307, Heaton NE7 7QG.

SSAFA Forces Help runs SSAFA Norton House, a 'home from home' for the families of injured servicemen and women who are being treated at Selly Oak Hospital. The charity also runs family support groups for those dealing with bereavement or life-changing injuries.

Anyone interested in taking part in the walk should contact WO Kelly on 0783 7021 914.

THE FIRST SIR BOBBY ROBSON ‘TRIBUTE SHIRTS’ ARRIVE IN AFRICA

Football shirts left in tribute to Sir Bobby Robson after his death in July last year are now being received by children in some of the world’s poorest countries.

Around 6,000 football shirts, scarves and flags were left by fans at Sir Bobby’s former clubs - Newcastle United, Ipswich Town, West Bromwich Albion and Fulham – in an incredible outpouring of affection and respect for the former England manager.

Many feature touching personal messages regarding Sir Bobby and they are now being distributed by a number of charities - KitAid, the RAF’s Taking Football to Africa and Beyond Appeal, Coaches Across Continents and CAFOD – to benefit disadvantaged people in Eastern Europe, Asia, South America and Africa.

The first shirts distributed overseas have been delivered to Gambia where they are being used by The Association For Child Education (TAFCE) - an education and vocational skills project set up by local people in Kerewan.

A delivery has also been made to a project run by Don Bosco Homes, which helps street children in Liberia.

Sir Bobby’s youngest son, Mark Robson, recently helped the charity KitAid box up hundreds of the shirts ready for distribution overseas. He plans to visit Kenya later this year to see the benefits the shirts are bringing at first hand.

Mark says: “It’s truly amazing to hear the stories about how much a simple piece of football kit means to these children.

“I’m very much looking forward to helping deliver some of these tribute items so I can see for myself the difference it is making.

“As a family we were taken aback by the response to dad’s death – it was all on such an incredible scale. Tens of thousands of pounds was donated to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation in his memory and the scenes with all the football memorabilia at St James’ Park and in Ipswich were just incredible.

“We are very touched that so many people thought so highly of him. I’m sure my dad, above all people, would be very happy knowing these children are enjoying playing and following football because they have a football shirt of their own.”

Since its launch in 1998, KitAid has distributed 100,000 items of football kit to 35 different countries.

The charity’s founder, Derrick Williams, says: “We’re really pleased that the first shipment of Sir Bobby Robson shirts has arrived in Gambia and the reaction from the children who received them was superb.

“They love anything to do with football in the UK and they are now all following the English teams with even more interest.”

For further information regarding KitAid please visit www.veoliawater.co.uk/kitaid.

SIR BOBBY ROBSON CANCER TRIALS RESEARCH CENTRE CELEBRATES FIRST ANNIVERSARY

The Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre is celebrating its first anniversary this week – a birthday it shares with the man who was so instrumental in raising the money required to equip it.

Sir Bobby Robson would have been 77-years-old this week (18th Feb) and a year ago he officially opened the cancer drugs trials centre at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

Over the past year, the Centre has treated 560 patients from Cumbria, Northumberland, Teesside, Tyneside, Wearside and County Durham. 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.

Professor Ruth Plummer, director of the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre, says: “Opening this Centre a year ago has made a huge difference to the lives of people living with cancer in the north east.

“Patients here have tried standard cancer treatments which they have found are no longer effective and they’re prepared to try something new.

“It’s a wonderfully warm and positive place to work and I count myself very lucky to be part of the team here.”

Sir Bobby launched the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation after request for help from Professor Plummer.

She asked for help raising £500,000 to equip the cancer drugs trials unit and amazingly that initial target was reached in just seven weeks.

Professor Plummer adds: “It was an incredible occasion when we officially opened the Centre last year. We all sang happy birthday to Sir Bobby even though we had some very high profile guests including England manager Fabio Capello!

“Sadly Sir Bobby is not here to celebrate with us today. We couldn’t have achieved all we have for cancer patients in the north east without him. He’s a great miss and we’re very grateful for the incredible legacy he has left us.”

The Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre treats patients on clinical trials of new cancer drugs. These include early trials of drugs which are just starting to be used in people as well as those which are further on in development and being compared to standard treatments for effectiveness.

This means cancer patients from across the region can choose to participate in trials and have an opportunity to try new treatments as they emerge.

Thanks to ongoing support, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has now raised over £2.2 million to fight cancer in the north east.

In addition to equipping the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre, the charity has funded a specialist research nurse and doctor and enhanced a children’s waiting area at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care.

It also recently contributed £30,000 to the new Teenage Cancer Unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and will be making a very significant investment into cancer research equipment early this year.

The charity operates within the Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Trust and a wider cancer research network to provide services not currently funded by the NHS.

Lady Elsie says: “My husband was very proud that this Centre carried his name. He put so much into fund-raising 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 fund-raising 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.

“Bobby said though that it was the man in the street who really made the difference. He was always so touched when strangers at the match would give him a £10 note to put in the Foundation with no thoughts of thanks or recognition.

“I’m very grateful to everyone who has contributed to my husband’s charity by fund-raising or donating money. With continued support we’ll keep going to help all those people who sadly have to go through the hard fight against cancer like Bobby did.

“Every day experts like Ruth move us closer to more effective treatments and one day we’ll beat this terrible disease.”

STEVE GIBSON BECOMES TEESSIDE PATRON OF THE SIR BOBBY ROBSON FOUNDATION

Middlesbrough FC Chairman Steve Gibson hopes his new role as a patron of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation will help to increase fund-raising activities on Teesside.

Gibson has agreed to represent the north-east cancer charity as its Teesside patron and help to spread the word that it is for the benefit of patients from across the entire region.

The Boro Chairman, whose father died of cancer, was unveiled in his new role at a Riverside Stadium news conference attended by Sir Bobby’s widow, Lady Elsie, and his son Andrew.

Gibson said: “It was a privilege to get to know Bobby while he was manager of Newcastle. We became friendly and he continued to be a regular visitor to the Riverside and to our training ground at Rockliffe Park after that.

“He had affection for all the north-east clubs. He was a man of great dignity and well-loved by all fans, so it was an honour to be asked to be a patron for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

“My father died of cancer and there’s hardly a family that hasn’t been affected by it. We believe the Foundation can make great strides forwards in the advancement of treatment for cancer and hopefully find a solution to a complex problem.

“It’s important to stress that the Foundation isn’t just for the people of Newcastle, it’s for the north-east and stretches down to Teesside.

“Bobby wanted the benefits of his Foundation to extend across the north-east and it’s now my job to push the charity as much as I can especially here on Teesside.

“What we are striving to do now is to raise as much capital as possible towards research projects.

Sir Bobby Robson achieved incredible success at home and abroad during a football career that lasted more than 50 years and took him almost as far as a World Cup Final.

The former England player and manager began his professional football life at Fulham Football Club but it could so easily have begun on Teesside when he had a trial with Middlesbrough in 1948.

Sadly for Sir Bobby his trial was unsuccessful, and Middlesbrough’s loss was Fulham’s gain on that occasion, but he always maintained a great regard for the club.

It is therefore appropriate that Sir Bobby’s widow, Lady Elsie, should call upon Steve Gibson to represent Sir Bobby and to help continue the work of his cancer charity.

Lady Elsie said: “My family and I are committed to continuing the work Bobby began though his Foundation and Steve agreeing to help by becoming our Teesside Patron means a great deal to us.

“Bobby thought very highly of Steve and the set-up at Middlesbrough Football Club and I’m sure he would approve of his involvement in his charity.

“We’re very grateful to Steve for formally representing the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation as a Patron and for helping us to raise money to fight this terrible disease.”

Steve Gibson joins Alan Shearer as a Patron of the charity, which Sir Bobby launched in March 2008 following a request for help from his oncologist Professor Ruth Plummer.

So that it could be quickly and easily set up, the Foundation operates within the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Charity. However, every penny raised for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation contributes to cancer services and projects which benefit patients from the entire north east region.

Thanks to incredible ongoing support, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has now raised over £2.2 million to fight cancer.

In addition to equipping the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre, the charity has funded a specialist research nurse and doctor and enhanced a children’s waiting area at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care. It also recently contributed £30,000 to the new Teenage Cancer Unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation operates within the Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Trust and a wider cancer research network to provide services not currently funded by the NHS for the benefit of patients from across the north east.

These services include the clinical trials of drugs which are at such an early phase in their development that they are not yet licensed by the NHS.

STEVE GIBSON AND ANDREW ROBSON INTERVIEW

Middlesbrough FC chairman Steve Gibson and Sir Bobby's son Andrew talk about Steve's new role as Teesside Patron of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

www.mfc.co.uk/articles/20100213/chairman-named-charity-patron_70639_1964636