Your Man With A Van Visits The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation Charity

I’d love to share my recent visit to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. 

Thankfully, this time it wasn’t for medical reasons—instead, I had the privilege of an inspiring and eye-opening tour from the wonderful Ed Milner, of The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. It was a chance to learn more about the organisation and the incredible work they’re doing to beat cancer.

But first, a bit of background. A couple of months ago, my partner Cat and I left our North East base for London to attend the Northumbria Club’s quarterly dinner. Our Director Michael is the secretary, and it was a real pleasure to join so many incredible professionals and friends with connections to the North East for a delicious meal. That evening, we were lucky enough to hear a talk from Mr Mark Robson (no relation), son of the late Sir Bobby Robson, England football team manager from 1982 to 1990.

Mark shared Sir Bobby’s remarkable journey—from his humble beginnings in mining towns, through his rise to football stardom and knighthood, to his courageous personal battle with multiple cancers. Despite facing huge challenges, Sir Bobby never stopped striving for greatness and supporting others. His legacy lives on through the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and their groundbreaking work. The Foundation runs a research facility focused on clinical trials for patients with terminal cancer diagnoses, offering hope to those with no remaining treatment options. Thanks to this vital work, their North East-based team has developed two cancer-beating drugs that are now used worldwide.

Sadly, Sir Bobby passed away in 2009, but his legacy continues to grow. The research facility at Freeman’s, which I was lucky enough to tour, is about to receive a huge upgrade—a £30 million investment, with work having just begun. So far, £27 million has been raised, leaving £3 million to go before the project is complete. This is where, however small our contribution might feel, we can truly make a difference. As a nationwide network of van men and women, cancer touches us all in some way, so it feels right to get behind this incredible cause and help raise that final £3 million.

The photo below shows the exciting first steps of construction, with the project expected to be completed by early 2028.

I’ll be sharing more updates as the project progresses. For now, I hope you’ll join me in cheering on everyone involved with the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation as they continue this important work.

Dan