The Bob Willis Fund has been set up to raise money for prostate cancer research and awareness.
Prostate cancer is the number one diagnosed cancer in the UK, killing 12,000 men a year.
Yet, there is no national screening programme. The current Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test is unreliable: it doesn’t work for everyone, and it didn’t work for Bob.
We need better and quicker ways to detect prostate cancer. This is the core purpose of The Bob Willis Fund, with the majority of the money raised going to specific prostate cancer diagnosis projects.
Your donation could help save a life like Bob’s.
Blue For Bob Day is Back
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced The Bob Willis Fund as its Official Men’s White Ball Charity Partner for the next two years. To launch this renewed partnership, the iconic #BlueForBob Day will take place again at Edgbaston on Thursday, May 29th, during the England vs. West Indies One-Day International. This annual event has become a flagship occasion in the cricket calendar, raising awareness and funds for prostate cancer research and honouring the legacy of England legend Bob Willis.
More about the Bob Willis Fund
Bob Willis, the former England Cricket Captain, the hero of Headingley 1981 and much loved Sky Sports Broadcaster, was a healthy 66-year-old when he was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in April 2016.
Bob had regular PSA tests, but his urine flow had started to weaken, and a urinary tract infection took him to the doctor. This time his PSA was very slightly raised, so Bob was sent to see a urologist who assured him there was nothing to worry about. Six weeks later, Bob returned, and it was recommended he had an MRI scan and a biopsy. The results were devastating. It was advanced prostate cancer that had spread into his bones. Even then, we were told it wasn’t immediately life-threatening, but it would be in 3-5 years without treatment. Bob underwent every treatment thrown at him without complaint. He died 3 years and 8 months later in December 2019, aged 70.
Bob’s story proves there is still so much research needed. And money to pay for that
Our Progress: More than £1.5 Million raised so far
Thanks to the incredible generosity of the public, The Bob Willis Fund has so far raised more than £1.5 million. This money has been instrumental in advancing groundbreaking research aimed at improving the early diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Funding has supported prestigious institutions, including The Institute of Cancer Research, Imperial College, The University of East Anglia, Prostate Cancer Research and Prostate Cancer UK to develop innovative tools such as blood and urine tests, as well as genetic mapping, to enhance early detection methods.
These tools will help in our aim to have a national screening programme for prostate cancer within the next 3–5 years. Something that may have saved Bob’s life if it had been in place.
To learn more about how your donations are making an impact, click here.