NUFC PLAYERS GO BACK TO SCHOOL FOR SIR BOBBY

Football legend Sir Bobby Robson is certainly the most famous former pupil of Langley Park Primary School in County Durham – and this week the school had a visit from two more Newcastle United stars.

Staff and pupils are very proud of their association with Sir Bobby, who began his working life as an apprentice electrician down Langley Park Colliery and went on to represent his country as a football player and manager.

Head teacher, Dorothy Brennan, is hopeful that the children currently attending the school will be inspired by Sir Bobby’s success and will work equally hard to achieve their own ambitions.

And to help motivate them even further, two Newcastle United players visited the school this week to share their own memories of Sir Bobby with the pupils.

Shola Ameobi and Steve Harper both played under Sir Bobby when he was manager of Newcastle United.  It was a moving experience for them to spend time in the former pit village where he grew up and attended what was then Langley Park Infants School – and now Langley Park Primary School.

The school has 225 pupils aged between 3 and 11-years-old who were thrilled to discover Steve and Shola were guests at their afternoon assembly.

Miss Brennan says: “Sir Bobby is an excellent example of someone who went on to achieve great success through perseverance and effort.  We have a school full of very talented young people and we want to see them go on to achieve success in whatever walk of life they choose.

“We’re extremely grateful to Steve and Shola for taking the time to talk to our pupils.  They were very motivated by their visit, which will live long in the memory.

“I feel sure Sir Bobby would be proud to know his former players had come to his home village to inspire the next generation of pupils at Langley Park Primary School.”

The school has also been remembering Sir Bobby by raising money for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and Steve and Shola were pleased to collect a cheque for £700 on behalf of the north east cancer charity.

The money was raised through a pupils versus teachers penalty shoot out and a dress in sporty clothing day. The eight winners, one from each class, of the most unusual sporting outfits received a signed football as a prize.

After assembly, Steve and Shola visited Year 4 class to talk about their own experiences and how they achieved their ambitions through determination and hard work.

Shola says: "Sir Bobby set up his Foundation to do great things and it's wonderful to see kids - and particularly kids from the village where he grew up - taking it upon themselves to try and help.

“It's fantastic to see that they are raising money and you can feel the love and inspiration that Bobby still brings out of people. The whole place clearly looks up to him. I know that he would be very proud of that.

“It was really special to visit his old school and I'd like to thank the pupils and staff for their efforts on behalf of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.”

Steve says: “You can tell that the whole of Langley Park is proud of the association with Sir Bobby and rightly so.

“Even kids who are too little to remember him have heard the tales and stories of this local lad growing up, being proud of the area, going on to manage his country and to work at all these fantastic football clubs throughout Europe before coming home and doing well here, too.

“It's fantastic for them that they have this role model to look up to, to feel proud of and, in turn, they've taken a vested interest in raising money for his Foundation, which continues to do vital work."

FORMER TEAM MATE’S MARATHON EFFORTS IN TRIBUTE TO GARY SPEED

A team mate of former Newcastle United midfielder Gary Speed is fund-raising for charity in his memory.

Matt Jones from Llanelli played with Gary at Leeds United and in the Welsh national side. To raise money for good causes, he will be running a half marathon around the pitch at Swansea City’s Liberty Stadium ahead of Newcastle United’s Premier League game there on Friday (6th April).

And it is not the only fund-raising activity Matt has undertaken or has planned. His own football career was cut short by a spinal injury and he was already planning to run the London Marathon to raise funds for the Spinal Injuries Association when Gary died.

Matt was so devastated by the news that he vowed to increase his fund-raising efforts in tribute to his friend and is now also raising funds for the John Hartson Foundation and Sir Bobby Robson Foundation – two charities which Gary supported.

Matt says: “I’m dedicating this year to Gary’s memory and doing whatever I can to raise money for charity.

“I was completely shocked by Gary’s death and I want to do something to show much he meant to me and to help causes which I know meant a lot to him.

“Gary ran the London Marathon for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and I like to think I’m picking up the work he started.”

Matt has already run half marathons around the pitch at Leicester and Leeds, ran in the Llanelli half marathon and ran a marathon ahead of the recent international match between Wales and Costa Rica, which ended on the pitch.

Matt adds: “The marathon was a major achievement for me. I was so proud to get a big hug off Gary’s mum when I finished. She said she thought he would be very proud of me and honestly, hearing that, I could have gone back out there and ran another 26 miles.

“It’s hard doing the running around a football pitch. Depending on the ground, it’s about 68 laps for the half marathon. It’s not easy keeping turning all the time and I’ve developed a sore knee as a result. Physically it’s hard but mentally I can do this because I know it’s for Gary.

"Something that I learnt from him was that the majority of us are born without a natural gift and we all have to work our socks off to gain anything. As I've grown older I’ve seen further into Gaz's meaning.

“Gary was someone who certainly proved this in his playing career and later in his coaching and managerial careers.

"Now I want to prove that I can do this. I've set my goals and I will work hard to reach my target.

"Thanks to everyone who has already made a contribution regardless of how small it is. Every penny counts and I really do appreciate it.”

Matt has already raised over £4,000 and his target is £10,000 to divide between the Spinal Injuries Association, the John Hartson Foundation and the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

In addition to Friday’s half marathon at Swansea and the London Marathon, he plans to run up and down Snowdonia (the highest mountain in Wales), host a fund-raising dinner, do a 24 hour static bike ride at a local Tesco and deliver each cheque in person to the three charities by bike.

To make a donation, please visit www.justgiving.com/mattjones7.

ANOTHER NIGHT TO REMEMBER FOR A VERY MEMORABLE KNIGHT

An evening of laughter and entertainment in aid of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is promised at Rainton Meadows Arena, Houghton-le-Spring, this May.

The team behind the hugely successful Night of All Knights charity night in 2008, which raised an incredible £185,000, is hosting a glamorous fund-raising dinner with entertainment provided by comedian and impressionist Bobby Davro and former football player, manager and pundit Ron Atkinson.

One of the first guests to pledge support by attending the dinner is Sunderland AFC manager Martin O’Neill and event organiser Michael Roseberry hopes the evening will be a very memorable one, calling the event Another Night to Remember.

Michael says: “We’re planning an evening which we hope will live long in the memory of all our guests and we’re thrilled that Martin will be attending.

“After the success of the Night of All Knights it’s always been in our minds to host another charity night for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. That was an amazing evening and featured Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Bobby Charlton, Mick Hucknall and, of course, Sir Bobby Robson.

“This time we thought we’d do something a bit different and comedy seemed to be the obvious choice. Bobby Davro brings the house down wherever he performs and we’re over the moon that he’s agreed to take part.

“The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is a cause which is close to my heart and the timing feels right to hold another event to help out.”

This week the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation announced it has broken through the £4 million fund-raising barrier.

The charity funds projects within the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that directly benefit cancer patients from across the north east and Cumbria, and which contribute significantly to research into the disease.

Pauline Buglass, head of fund-raising for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation says: “We’re so pleased that Michael is hosting another night in aid of the Foundation. He raised an enormous amount of money for the charity last time round and created an extremely special event.

“No doubt Another Night to Remember will be equally special and with Bobby Davro and ‘Big Ron’ on the bill I’m sure it will be extremely funny too.

“Bobby was a great favourite of Sir Bobby and it’s the second time he’s been kind enough to support the Foundation.

“When he performed at St James’ Park at the dinner Newcastle United held for the Foundation in 2008 he had everyone, including Sir Bobby, in stitches. I’ve no doubt Another Night to Remember will be just as enjoyable.”

Another Night to Remember will be hosted by ITV’s Philippa Tomson and held at Rainton Meadows Arena on Friday 11th May 2012.

Tickets are on sale now priced from £1,080 for a table of 12 and include a champagne reception, four course dinner, auction, comedy and music. Dress code is black tie and premium seating and sponsor packages are available.

For further information or to reserve a table please call 0191 584 8630

NEWCASTLE BUILDING SOCIETY TEAMS UP TO SUPPORT SIR BOBBY ROBSON FOUNDATION

A regional institution aims to hit the back of the net with a long-term scheme to help the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

Newcastle Building Society (NBS) has launched the special Sir Bobby Robson Foundation ISA, which will give an additional cash donation, for every pound invested by customers, to the charity.

The company, with more branches in the North East than any other building society, has unveiled this partnership to mark the Foundation’s fourth anniversary.

Not only is the product a ‘Best Buy’ in the marketplace, it is also the first of its type and is the Foundation’s first financial product partnership, which Sir Bobby’s widow, Lady Elsie Robson, is delighted about: “It was a great pleasure to help launch this new account and we’re grateful to the Newcastle for thinking of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

“It’s a very creative way of helping the charity and we will ensure every penny donated is spent wisely.

“We’ve just celebrated the Foundation’s fourth anniversary and receiving support from an organisation with a heritage like the Newcastle Building Society is a marvellous present. My husband would have been as proud as punch with this fitting gesture.”

Jim Willens, NBS’ Chief Executive, said: “Before launching the account, customer research was undertaken, which indicated that they would like us to support charities linked to health and old age. As such, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is a great fit with the Society as it is a cancer research charity, which raises money to fund the early detection and treatment of cancer.

“In addition, whilst having a strong presence nationally, the charity also has a focus on the same heartland (North East and Cumbria) as the Society.

"As a regional organisation, the support we provide to the communities in which we operate is a crucial element to our business strategy. Our product allows people to save tax-free while helping a good cause. We’re really looking forward to the support we aim to bring to the Foundation as a result of this partnership, which we hope will be a long-term fixture.”

For more information, please visit http://www.newcastle.co.uk/savings/cash-isa.aspx

FOURTH ANNIVERSARY AND INCREDIBLE NEW TOTAL – NOW OVER £4 MILLION

Today (Sunday 25th March) not only marks the fourth anniversary of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, it is also the day the charity is announcing it has broken through the £4 million fund-raising barrier.

It is a spectacular achievement for the charity Sir Bobby and Lady Elsie launched in 2008 to raise an initial target of £500,000. That money was required to equip a cancer trials research centre at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital and, incredibly, was achieved in just seven weeks.

Thanks to wonderful ongoing support the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has now raised £4,095,264 to find more effective treatments for cancer and is contributing significantly to the coordinated, international research into the disease.

Professor Ruth Plummer, Sir Bobby’s oncologist and director of the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre, sees the benefits of the work funded through the Foundation every day.

It was Professor Plummer’s request for help which prompted Sir Bobby and Lady Elsie to set up the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and she believes its ongoing success is the greatest tribute that could ever be paid to him.

Professor Plummer says: “Sir Bobby was absolutely committed to this charity. He said he’d give up a year to help us but he actually remained passionately involved for the last 18 months of his life despite being extremely ill.

“The way people continue to help us is amazing. It’s an incredible and very worthy tribute to Sir Bobby and an acknowledgment of just how many people are affected by cancer one way or another.

“Four years ago we had no idea what we could achieve through this charity. It’s amazing to look back on what has already been funded and see the difference it is making to people with cancer.

“Looking to the future, we’re currently exploring a number of exciting possibilities which will enhance the services and equipment we’ve already invested in. We’re just so grateful that the support for the charity allows us to have this long term view.”

Fittingly, staff from House of Fraser at the MetroCentre have organised a celebration ball at the Copthorne Hotel tonight. Coinciding with the Foundation’s anniversary, and at the same venue where Sir Bobby launched the charity, it is sure to be a moving occasion.

Helen Jennings, from Denton Burn, says: “Staff at House of Fraser voted to raise money for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation this year and this ball is just one of the events and activities we’re undertaking.

“Most of our staff have been directly or indirectly affected by cancer so this charity was a very popular choice. Sadly in my department alone we’ve lost two colleagues to the disease and you want to feel like you’re doing something to help.

“We’re not finished yet and have raised around £2,000 already. Everyone across the whole store is pitching in.

“Holding our celebration ball on the fourth anniversary of the Foundation makes it even more special and we’re very grateful to everyone who has supported the event with prizes and bought tickets. We hope Sir Bobby would be pleased we’re supporting the work of his charity four years after he began it.”

The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation funds projects within the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that directly benefit cancer patients from across the north east and Cumbria - including the clinical trials of drugs at the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care in Newcastle – and which contribute significantly to the international fight against the disease.

Since its launch, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has equipped the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre and funded a specialist clinical research nurse and research doctor within it.

Over 1,000 patients have been treated on clinical trials since the Sir Bobby Centre opened in February 2009 and an additional 1,000 patients have been enrolled in other research studies, studying the biology and genetics of cancer to help develop and improve treatments.

There has been a year on year increase in the number of clinical trials open, currently 93, and staffing in the Centre has risen from 27 when it opened in 2009 to 40 today. Further developments are planned which will involve still further expansion of the team.

Newcastle’s Experimental Medicine Cancer Centre (ECMC), which includes the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre, was recently identified as one of highest scoring ECMCs in the UK, placed in the top tier alongside other centres at UCL, Royal Marsden, Oxford and Cambridge.

Thanks to fantastic ongoing support, the Foundation has also funded leukaemia laboratory research equipment and contributed to the Royal Victoria Infirmary’s teenage cancer unit in Newcastle.

It has enhanced a specialist children’s waiting area, jointly funded a patient ‘quiet and information area’ with help from Macmillan Cancer Support and part funded a complementary therapy programme providing symptom relief for cancer patients – all at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care.

The charity is also working with Newcastle University and has purchased an ultra-compact ABT Molecular Imaging Biomarker Generator, which will help with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

The Biomarker Generator was purchased through a record contribution of £625,000 from the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and is only the second of its type in the world and the first in Europe. It is expected to go into operation this summer (2012).

The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation’s medical trustees are always looking for the next breakthrough, the next promising investment into cancer equipment or training and always looking to fulfil Sir Bobby’s ambition to help other people facing the hard fight against cancer.

It is supported in that aim by committed Patrons including Alan Shearer, Niall Quinn, Steve Gibson, Delia Smith and Mick Mills.

Tom Chaplin blog: Sir Bobby Robson boat naming

There are times when things just fit, they work out perfectly, a synergy falls neatly into place. Yesterday (4th March 2012) really was one of those days.

On the brightest of North East spring afternoons on the River Tyne, with regeneration appropriately sprouting all around and camera crews and news reporters jostling for position on the quayside, the name Sir Bobby Robson and the work of the Foundation, was the centre of attention.

The Port of Tyne launched a new dredging vessel – “Sir Bobby Robson” - in front of officials, invited guests and competition winners. Blessed and officially named by Sir Bobby’s widow Lady Elsie Robson, the event was a real family affair as her son Andrew addressed guests and detailed the latest work of the Foundation.

But the perfect fit doesn’t end there. There was the cheque Port of Tyne kindly presented to the Foundation, a donation that will go a long way to continuing its important work in cancer research. There was the sight of civic gold as both North and South Tyneside’s Mayors were represented. And there was also thirteen year old Ben Nicholson, the harbourmaster’s son, who had won the Port’s competition to name the vessel.

Proof, if any were required, that Sir Bobby’s name and his place in North East hearts - black and white, red and white or otherwise - lives on.

And finally¸ there was the connection between Sir Bobby and the boat itself. For while many folk may have baulked at a plain old dredger being named after them, Lady Elsie was sure Sir Bobby would have been thrilled to have his name on the side of this one. A working boat with real purpose and a planned service of fifty years – much like Bobby’s dedication to football – the “Sir Bobby Robson” will work tirelessly for the benefit of others – much like Sir Bobby’s efforts with his Foundation.

That’s synergy for you. A perfect fit and a perfect day.

Special thanks must go to our generous hosts the Port of Tyne and The Customs House.

Tom Chaplin, Writer in Residence, Sir Bobby Robson Foundation

As I sit in the warm and bright treatment area in the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital surrounded by patients waiting or being treated, I become aware of my own health.

I am, to all intents and purposes, healthy. My family are healthy. What’s more, mercifully, no one in my immediate family has had to tackle cancer. But the people here from all walks of life have, and do so with immense bravery and stoicism.

I see men and women, young and old, and it’s not that these people are happy – many of these people are facing the finality of cancer – but they are remarkably cheery. Breakfast and blood tests, crosswords and chatting – often with each other about their shared experience – everything is conducted with a lack of drama and a complete absence of self-pity.

The nurses do their work: monitoring patients, administering medicines and conducting tests with good grace and tender humility, offering patients the benefit of their expertise and putting them at ease whenever possible. They make sure that people are fed and watered, comfortable and settled, and there is a sense that their jobs hold no boundaries or limits.

Meanwhile, the massage lady quietly passes between the clusters of easy chairs offering a relaxing five minute back massage to anyone who fancies it. Her friendly nature and gentle smile seems to draw away what anxiety or tension her clients must be feeling.

The wig lady pushes her trolley through the room and eyes those who might want to discuss their options with her. “Embrace it”, she says kindly as a lady wonders how to deal with her hair loss. They peruse the boxes of hairpieces together like many of us would when buying shoes in a shoe shop.

Ted is in his late sixties. He tells me this is his third time battling cancer, though he knows it will almost certainly be his last. “Not as many as Bobby”, he says casually with a smile in that way that we all seem to talk about Sir Bobby Robson – as if we knew him personally. He touches my arm as he tells me his story and a tear wells unashamedly in my eye.

He lost his beloved wife to cancer on the eve of retirement – “just when it was going to our time” he says, but talks warmly of life with his family, especially his grandchildren who he will be sad to leave behind. “I’ve had a good life”, he says.

Ted’s story is typical of those offering themselves for trials here. He’s here to take part in a trial of a drug that could save his life, but he’s happy to accept that it may only be others who benefit.

And it’s now that the state of my own health hits me. Of course, I’m very grateful – more so for having spent a lovely twenty minutes or so in Ted’s company – for my good health. I feel guilty almost for my healthy cells and fully functioning organs, though somehow I know Ted wouldn’t wish me to. But something else strikes me.

If I was Ted, if I was in his position, I could think of nowhere else I’d rather be having my last throw of the dice than here. Taking an opportunity to help myself and others.

Please keep giving, and please keep fundraising. Thank you.

Tom Chaplin, Writer in Residence, Sir Bobby Robson Foundation