HIS is a name inextricably linked with the town.
And Sir Bobby Robson’s legacy will be further cemented after it was revealed that a fundraising mission bearing his name will help thousands of cancer patients across Ipswich and east Suffolk.
The Sir Bobby’s Breakthrough Online Auction and Suffolk Ball, which will both take place in October, is aiming to raise £1million for various worthy causes – one of which is Ipswich Hospital.
The event will also support clinical trials for new cancer treatments, ongoing support of The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, Breakthrough Breast Cancer and West Suffolk Hospital.
The choice of the Heath Road trust as one of the beneficiaries reflects the esteem with which former Blues boss Sir Bobby held staff at the hospital where he was treated by the oral surgery team.
Nick Hulme, chief executive of Ipswich Hospital, said the money will enable staff to further develop cancer services by improving The Woolverstone Wing.
The investment will bring brighter, more spacious treatment areas and a new drug preparation area to deliver chemotherapy to an increasing number of cancer patients.
Mr Hulme said: “More and more people are in need of cancer care at the hospital.
“For this reason we need to develop more facilities at The Woolverstone Wing, particularly to deliver chemotherapy.
“We would like to use the money raised by the Sir Bobby’s Breakthrough Online Auction and the Suffolk Ball to help us create an even better centre which has the privacy and dignity of every person at its heart.
“The new drug preparation area will have all the specialist equipment needed to prepare latest treatments and always have them on hand for patients.
“We are very proud to be alongside The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, Breakthrough Breast Cancer and West Suffolk Hospital, benefiting from these magnificent fund-raising initiatives.
“We give our wholehearted backing and commitment to the fundraising committee for the fantastic support they are demonstrating to our hospitals.”
The first Sir Bobby’s Breakthrough Auction in 2011 raised close to £500,000, spurring the organisers to aim for £1m this year.
The auction, supported by The Star and its sister titles, will open for bids between October 12 and 27, backed by a host of celebrities and sports stars.
Mark Robson, Sir Bobby’s son and a member of the auction committee, said: “Sadly, cancer is likely to affect every one of us in one way or another and my family knows first hand the pain it can cause.
“That’s why we are so committed to continuing the work started by my father in supporting research for new treatments.”
– For more information on how to donate visit www.sirbobbysbreakthrough.com
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