West Ham United are delighted to announce the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK will continue to play a prominent role as the club moves forward into a bright future.
The club's status along with Newham Council as recommended preferred bidder for the Olympic Stadium will mean heightened exposure for all connected with West Ham United - namely, from a charitable perspective, the Bobby Moore Fund and the Richard House Children's Hospice in Beckton.
West Ham United's exciting developments off the field will mean a rationalisation of the charity and community focus to ensure new organisations can benefit, as well as our existing partners.
Details will follow later in the year of how this will take shape as part of our new Forever United project. This will administer funding to a range of causes, including those linked with the regeneration and development of the Olympic boroughs including Newham.
Of course, charity will also begin at home in terms of the continued funding of grassroots football through the Academy. This new wide-ranging focus will enable the club to reach out to more people than ever before.
Although this July marks the conclusion of a formal three-year partnership, the club and the Bobby Moore Fund will build on the close working relationship in many exciting ways. In particular, although the 2010/11 season will be the last of the club's three-year shirt agreement to feature the Fund on Academy and kids replica shirts, the charity's visibility will remain high.
Over the past three years, the club has achieved vast global awareness for the Fund and will continue to come up with ways of spreading the word - as was the case at this weekend's annual awareness match against Aston Villa which takes place during bowel cancer awareness month. Stephanie Moore MBE, Bobby's widow, was a guest of honour.
West Ham United would also like to thank principal partners SBOBET for agreeing to the Bobby Moore Fund's presence on the Academy shirts since the 2008/09 campaign. SBOBET are superb supporters of the charity, and will yet again make a donation to the charity this weekend, as well as supplying 30,000 flags that will be distributed among the crowd.
In addition to vast public and media awareness, the club has generated significant funds, with supporters digging deep time and time again as well to give generously to such a worthy cause. BM6-branded merchandise has also made an impact with the club donating more than £34,000 in royalties, and the club and Fund will continue to liaise on commercial and marketing opportunities to the benefit of all.