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Morpeth wine shop backs The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation

Grape and Grain is a well-established wine shop in Northumberland and a great passion for its owner, who took over in 2020.

Formerly Bin 21, Grape and Grain has been selling wine, craft beers and spirits from Morpeth, for 15 years and running the shop is a dream come true for Mark Stephenson who took over after only 18 months working in the industry.

Now Mark is harnessing his enthusiasm for wine to benefit another of his great passions and is fundraising for The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, part of Newcastle Hospitals Charity.

Mark says: “I’ve always been interested in wine and when the opportunity to take over Grape and Grain came along, I jumped at the chance.

“The timing might have been better, because we were in the pandemic, but despite the many challenges I haven’t regretted it.

“I love what I do and now I’m able to use wine to support a local charity that’s important to me.

“I’m really impressed by the Foundation’s work to build a new cancer trials institute for this region and proud that Grape and Grain has already played a small part in the fundraising.”

In September, Mark hosted a Portuguese Wine Month to celebrate wines from the country and to fundraise.

Mark explains: “Sir Bobby is someone I admire and he managed two of Portugal’s biggest clubs, Porto and Sporting Lisbon. Celebrating the wines of Portugal seemed like a good way to lend my support, and also to introduce my customers to wines they may not have come across before.

“The first tasting night was so popular I had to organise a second. I think everyone learned a lot and were proud to be part of evenings supporting such an important cause.”

Construction of the £30m Sir Bobby Robson Institute will begin this year and is being funded by The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

A world-leading cancer trials hub for the region at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, it will provide patient-centred cancer care and research to find new and faster ways to detect and treat cancer.

With over £20 million raised so far thanks to the generosity of Sir Bobby Robson Foundation supporters, support for The Sir Bobby Robson Institute is now crucial to raise the final funds to complete and fully equip the Institute by 2027.

For Sir Bobby Robson Institute fundraising enquiries please contact Kate Bradley kate.bradley14@nhs.net or call 0191 213 7235.

For more information about The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, please visit: www.sirbobbyrobsonfoundation.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Andy Atkinson .