Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is a UK-registered cancer charity (est. 2008) that funds clinical trials, genetic testing, and cancer treatment at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, currently building a £30 million research institute to serve 3.5 million people across North East England.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sir Bobby Robson Foundation does
The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is a registered UK charity (charity number 1057213) operating as part of Newcastle Hospitals Charity, founded in 2008 by Sir Bobby Robson and Lady Elsie Robson during Sir Bobby's own cancer treatment. Its mission is funding the detection and treatment of cancer, executed principally through equipping and operating the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, which runs clinical trials of new cancer drugs for advanced cancer patients across the North East and Cumbria. The foundation also supports the COLO-SPEED bowel cancer research digital platform (with Newcastle University) and the TARGET National genetic testing initiative, which uses blood samples to identify faulty hereditary cancer genes and match patients to clinical trials.
The foundation's flagship expansion is the £30 million Sir Bobby Robson Institute, a new cancer research and treatment facility being built at Freeman Hospital. Planning permission was granted in December 2025, construction officially began in April 2026, and completion is targeted for 2027. The Institute is expected to increase clinical trial activity by 50% over five years and serve a regional catchment of approximately 3.5 million people across the North East, North Cumbria, and North Yorkshire. Over £20 million of the £30 million target has already been secured through donors and fundraisers.
The organization operates a pure donation-based revenue model with no product or service sales. Income is generated through individual donations, community fundraising events (Great North Run, dragon boat races, golf days, school fun runs, charity auctions), and corporate partnerships (most notably a multi-million-pound flagship relationship with Newcastle Building Society, plus auction partnerships with Anderson & Garland and donations from football supporter trusts). It is governed and supported by Lady Elsie Robson and Professor Ruth Plummer MBE (Director of the Cancer Trials Research Centre), with operational delivery via Newcastle Hospitals NHS.
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
- Legal name
- The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
- Website
- https://sirbobbyrobsonfoundation.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is a UK-registered cancer charity (est. 2008) that funds clinical trials, genetic testing, and cancer treatment at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, currently building a £30 million research institute to serve 3.5 million people across North East England.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cancer Research Charity
- NAICS
- Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)
Keywords
Where Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations and Fundraising: The foundation receives donations from individual supporters who participate in fundraising events such as the Great North Run, golf days, marathon runs, cycling challenges, and community events.
- Corporate Partnerships: Long-term partnerships with companies such as Newcastle Building Society which has provided multi-million pound support including funding specialist nursing posts.
- Community Events and Auctions: Revenue generated through community fundraising events, charity auctions (such as those with Anderson & Garland), and sporting event partnerships.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is a UK cancer charity that funds the equipment, staff and research activities of the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, where new cancer drugs are trialled for patients from across the North East, North Cumbria and North Yorkshire. It is currently fundraising for and building a £30 million Sir Bobby Robson Institute at the same site, alongside funding hereditary cancer genetic testing (TARGET National) and the COLO-SPEED bowel cancer research initiative.
Product overview
The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is a cancer charity that funds cutting-edge cancer treatments and innovative cancer support services. The Foundation operates as a single unified offering centred on funding and operating the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre (the core facility) and the forthcoming Sir Bobby Robson Institute (under construction). Supporting programmes include the COLO-SPEED bowel cancer research digital platform and the TARGET National genetic testing initiative. All activities support the clinical trials of new cancer drugs for patients across the North East, North Cumbria and North Yorkshire.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre: The cancer drug trials research centre at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, equipped and funded by the foundation.
- Sir Bobby Robson Institute
Products and services
- Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre A cancer treatment and clinical trials facility at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, providing treatment for patients with advanced cancer from across the North East and Cumbria. It serves a catchment area of approximately 3.5 million people regionally and is the foundation's flagship funded facility, delivering clinical trials of new cancer drugs.
- Sir Bobby Robson Institute A £30 million cancer research and treatment facility being built at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, expected to provide pioneering treatments for approximately 3.5 million people across the North East, North Cumbria and North Yorkshire when completed in 2027. The institute aims to increase clinical trial activity by 50% over five years and is fully funded by the foundation.
- COLO-SPEED A digital hub launched by Newcastle University experts with foundation support to facilitate public involvement in bowel cancer research and patient care improvement in the UK, supporting research, early detection and prevention efforts.
- TARGET National A genetic testing initiative funded by the foundation that uses blood samples to identify faulty genes and help match patients to clinical trials for hereditary cancers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Approximately 3.5 million people will benefit from the Sir Bobby Robson Institute across North East, North Cumbria and North Yorkshire
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Gateshead School Sports PartnershipminorOrganizer of the MSF Inspire Gateshead Schools Fun Run, which partnered with the foundation for the first time in 2025. Over 3,500 schoolchildren participated in the event at Saltwell Park.
- Anderson & GarlandcoreOne of the largest independent auction houses in the UK, based in Westerhope, Newcastle, founded in 1840. Anderson & Garland has supported the foundation through auction events, including raising £26,000 from auctioning John Alder's football programme collection and £1,100 from their Spring Fine Auctions.
- Freeman Hospital (Newcastle Hospitals)coreThe Sir Bobby Robson Institute is being built at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. The hospital houses the existing Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre and will host the new £30 million institute.
- Newcastle United FoundationcorePartnership for children's support projects, including Christmas parties for young patients with cancer and chronic health issues.
- The Outdoor GuideminorFounded by Gina Bradbury Fox and Julia Bradbury, The Outdoor Guide supports outdoor challenge events for the foundation, including Lake District challenges.
- The Northumberland TartanminorA traditional border tartan clothing collaboration where a special range of clothing helps fund cutting-edge cancer treatment in the north of England.
- Daft as a Brush Cancer Patient CareminorLocal charity partnered with the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation to jointly fund a new cancer patient ambulance transporting patients from across the North East.
- Maggie's NewcastleminorThe foundation works with Maggie's Newcastle to provide greater support for people facing cancer in the North East, including funding a new cancer support specialist.
- Newcastle Hospitals CharitycoreThe Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is part of Newcastle Hospitals Charity (registered charity number 1057213). Newcastle Hospitals manages the healthcare facilities where the foundation's funded research and treatment takes place, including the Freeman Hospital and Northern Centre for Cancer Care.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The Institute of Cancer Research: Research institute and charity running clinical trials and laboratory science, with a similar mission of advancing cancer treatments. Comparable as a UK cancer research organization, though institutionally structured and nationally scoped rather than community-led.
- Macmillan Cancer Support: Major UK cancer charity providing practical, emotional, and financial support to cancer patients, alongside funding some clinical roles. Comparable as a UK cancer-focused fundraising charity with community events, though focused on patient support rather than drug trials.
- Cancer Research UK: Largest UK cancer research charity, funding clinical trials, lab research, and public health initiatives nationally. Comparable as a grantmaking cancer research foundation, though operating at vastly greater scale and with a national rather than regional footprint.
- Marie Curie (UK): Major UK end-of-life and cancer care charity with extensive community fundraising and clinical service delivery. Comparable as a large UK health charity with strong community fundraising DNA and NHS partnerships.
Direct peers
- Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent): UK charity supporting children and young people with cancer, including hospital-based specialist staff and family support. Comparable in funding specialist cancer nursing posts and partnering with regional NHS hospitals, though focused on paediatric oncology.
- Daft as a Brush Cancer Patient Care: North East charity explicitly partnered with Sir Bobby Robson Foundation to jointly fund a cancer patient ambulance. Directly comparable as a North East cancer charity with overlapping patient transport and support mission.
- Newcastle Hospitals Charity: Parent umbrella charity of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, managing multiple NHS-hospital-affiliated charitable funds. Directly comparable as a registered UK hospital charity distributing grants to clinical services in the North East.
- Pancreatic Cancer UK: UK disease-specific cancer charity funding research, clinical trials, and patient services. Comparable in mission and structure as a UK grantmaking cancer charity, though focused on a single cancer type rather than a regional cross-tumour portfolio.
- Maggie's Centres: UK charity operating cancer support centres near NHS hospitals, with which the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation explicitly partners (Maggie's Newcastle). Directly comparable as a regionally embedded cancer charity co-located with NHS oncology services.
Emerging players
- Newcastle University Cancer Research Team: Local academic partner of the foundation, co-developing the COLO-SPEED bowel cancer research platform. Comparable as a regional R&D entity contributing to the foundation's clinical and translational research pipeline.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceSir Bobby Robson Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
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Sir Bobby Robson Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
What does Sir Bobby Robson Foundation do?
The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is a UK cancer charity that funds the equipment, staff and research activities of the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, where new cancer drugs are trialled for patients from across the North East, North Cumbria and North Yorkshire. It is currently fundraising for and building a £30 million Sir Bobby Robson Institute at the same site, alongside funding hereditary cancer genetic testing (TARGET National) and the COLO-SPEED bowel cancer research initiative.
Is Sir Bobby Robson Foundation a public or private company?
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sir Bobby Robson Foundation founded?
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sir Bobby Robson Foundation based?
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Sir Bobby Robson Foundation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships and community Events and Auctions.
Who are Sir Bobby Robson Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are The Institute of Cancer Research, Macmillan Cancer Support, Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie (UK). Direct peers are Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent), Daft as a Brush Cancer Patient Care, Newcastle Hospitals Charity, Pancreatic Cancer UK and Maggie's Centres. Newcastle University Cancer Research Team is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sir Bobby Robson Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.
What industry is Sir Bobby Robson Foundation in?
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation's product category is Cancer Research Charity. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAL, Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAI, Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813212 and its SIC code is 8731.