Sir Graham Wylie Foundation donates £50,000 to progress cancer treatment for young people

The Sir Graham Wylie Foundation is supporting creation of a world-class cancer research hub that will help young people from across the North East, North Yorkshire and North Cumbria, as well as making a worldwide impact against the disease.

Sir Graham established his foundation in 2016 to help, educate and inspire children and young people in the North East. Now it has donated £50,000 towards the Sir Bobby Robson Institute to enable ground-breaking cancer treatment and attract global research talent to the region.

Funded by the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, part of Newcastle Hospitals Charity, construction of the £30m institute began in April at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, and fundraising is ongoing for the final £500,000 needed to complete the building.

The institute will provide patient-centred cancer care and research to find ways to detect and treat cancer for patients aged 18 and over.

It will greatly increase the number of clinical trials available in the region and, because of a unique pan-age approach to cancer clinical trials at Newcastle Hospitals, it will also increase the options available for children receiving treatment at the Great North Children’s Hospital.

Above: Professor Ruth Plummer MBE and Sir Graham Wylie

Director of the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre, Professor Ruth Plummer MBE, welcomed Sir Graham to visit the current trials centre within the Freeman Hospital and explained how the institute will benefit cancer patients of every age.

Professor Plummer says: “The Sir Bobby Robson Institute will be where we offer trials for patients aged 18 and upwards, while paediatric patients will continue to be treated in the dedicated facility within the Great North Children’s Hospital.

“But what makes this region so special is that we collaborate very closely. That collaboration, and the Joint Research Office between Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle University, means the paediatric and adult teams can open the same trials across the full age range of patients.

“It’s referred to nationally as pan-age. Where we can open one trial but have patients treated either at the Great North Children’s Hospital, or here at the Freeman in the adult cancer centre. Thus, ensuring teenagers and young adults are treated wherever is most suitable depending on their needs.

“We’re the one NHS Trust in the country that can open a clinical trial in that way. It’s a unique collaboration in the UK and we’re really proud of the work because we know how effective it can be.

“The ability to offer more trials can be life changing and sometimes life saving for our wonderful patients and we’re very grateful to The Sir Graham Wylie Foundation for vital support at this crucial time in our fundraising.”

Reflecting on the contribution towards the new Sir Bobby Robson Institute, Sir Graham says: “It was an easy choice really. First of all, I suffered from cancer myself many years ago and thankfully I’m fine now, but also Sir Bobby was a great friend of mine.

“I’m hoping, by attracting more clinical trials to this region, that we can help younger patients who unfortunately have this disease. Whether that’s a cure or making things manageable for them, so that they have a better life.

“If we can do that for even one child it would be worth it and we’re very proud to be backing this new institute. They’ll get more people in here, more clinicians, more patients and hopefully we’ll get some more drugs that will fight this horrible disease.”