Minister’s backing for £20m scheme

1:55pm Wednesday 30th July 2008

FORMER England and Wolves footballer, Geoff Thomas, has won government backing for his campaign to raise £20m to help leukaemia patients.

Bromsgrove resident Geoff, whose life was saved by a bone marrow transplant after he was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2003, met Health Secretary Alan Johnson in Whitehall.

He outlined his plan to fund six world class treatment centres in Oxford, Cambridge, Bart's London, Nottingham, Manchester and Birmingham over the next five years.

The centres aim to speed up the delivery of life-saving new drugs to blood cancer patients.

After the meeting Mr Johnson said: "This is an important initiative which could enable leukaemia and blood cancer patients to get faster access to revolutionary new drug therapies.

"Geoff has shown enormous courage in fighting his own battle with leukaemia and he is now using his knowledge of the illness to help other sufferers.

"He's showing all the skill and leadership he displayed on the football pitch. I applaud his innovative approach and his determination to make a difference."

Geoff, who has already raised £1million for leukaemia sufferers, said: "It is a huge boost to our campaign to get the support of the Health Secretary.

"Our initiative will create hundreds of jobs in the biotech industry in the UK and most importantly give the chance of life to blood cancer patients."

The Geoff Thomas Foundation is aiming to raise £20m pounds over the next five years to fund early clinical trials of new blood cancer therapies through a combination of public money and private philanthropy.

It is hoping to attract pioneering individuals and corporate finance to fund the foundation's work.

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