Sir Bobby tribute compost on sale

Compost made from thousands of floral tributes to the late Sir Bobby Robson has gone on sale.

The £10 bags are being sold at Earsdon Plant Centre in North Tyneside, with all profits going to cancer charity the Bobby Robson Foundation.

Bouquets were left at a makeshift shrine at Newcastle United's St James' Park after Sir Bobby died on 31 July.

Florist Julie Clay, who came up with the compost idea, said half of the 80 bags had already been sold by midday.

Raised £2m

She said: "The flowers were laid with huge respect and affection for Sir Bobby and we didn't want to see them go to waste.

"We got together a group of volunteers to separate the flowers from their wrappings and JBT Waste Services from Bedlington and Com Vert, a composting company at Felton, kindly collected, composted and delivered the resulting compost to Earsdon for us for no charge."

St James' Park was opened to the public for 11 days when the former England, Ipswich and Newcastle manager died of cancer at the age of 76.

County Durham-born Sir Bobby said he set up his charity to pay back the NHS for the care he had received since being diagnosed.

The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has raised over £2m to fight cancer and recently announced Alan Shearer as its first patron.

It launched in March 2008 and focuses on the clinical trials of cancer drugs and treatments and has already equipped a cancer trials research centre and funded a specialist research nurse and doctor.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Remembering Sir Bobby Robson
In pictures: Fans' tributes to Sir Bobby
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
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