Sir Bobby launched his Foundation in 2008 to help find more effective ways to detect and treat cancer.

He described it as his legacy and was extremely proud to see what we were achieving together. He said it felt, like being at the helm of a team again.

Sir Bobby - "Every time I've had cancer, it hasn't knocked me over. I didn't think, That's the end of me. I've always said, Oh, right. What are we going to do about that, then?"

A fund within the Newcastle Hospitals Charity, the work we fund directly benefits cancer patients from across the North East and Cumbria and contributes significantly to international research into the disease.

Our board of trustees includes leading cancer experts and Sir Bobby's widow, Lady Elsie, and three sons, Paul, Andrew and Mark. We are also very lucky to have fantastic backing from the football community and our patrons include Alan Shearer, Niall Quinn, Steve Gibson, Steve Harper, Mick Mills and Delia Smith.

And it is thanks to the incredible enthusiasm, commitment and generosity of our supporters that our Foundation has been able to continue and to build on the work Sir Bobby began.

Sir Bobby's first goal in launching his Foundation was to raise £500,000 to equip what became the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre (Freeman Hospital, Newcastle).

Opened by Sir Bobby in 2009, the centre offers patients access to early drug trials and potential new treatments, including immunotherapy drugs that are proving very effective for some cancers which would otherwise be extremely difficult to treat.

Our work also includes funding a pioneering genome sequencing project, PROSPECT-NE, a new approach to bowel cancer research, COLO-SPEED, and expanding the Innovative Therapies for Children Unit at the Great North Children's Hospital, which is described as, the Sir Bobby Robson Centre for young cancer patients.

All of this ground-breaking work, and many more cancer projects funded through our Foundation, is achieved within the NHS and in close partnership with other leading cancer research organisations and charities.

Thank you for support and for joining what Sir Bobby called his, last and greatest team.

For more information, please visit: sirbobbyrobsonfoundation.org.uk