Walking for sight

Optometrist and honorary Rotarian Niall McCormack has walked the length of Great Britain to raise funds and awareness for life-changing eye care in Tanzania and New Zealand.

Rotary Club of Havelock North, NZ, honorary Rotarian and optometrist Niall McCormack has completed an extraordinary feat of endurance and compassion, walking from Land’s End at the south-western tip of England to John O’Groats in the far north of Scotland. His 1,700-kilometre trek, which began on 4 June 2025 and concluded on 7 August 2025, was driven by a mission far greater than personal achievement: to raise vital funds and awareness for Eye Care for Africa, the charitable trust he founded, and Glaucoma New Zealand.

For more than two months, Niall made his way across the entire length of Great Britain – through rugged coastlines, windswept moors, rolling farmland and bustling cities. Along the way he encountered bouts of harsh weather and the physical strain expected of such an undertaking. Yet each step represented his commitment to improving eye health in communities where preventable blindness remains a daily reality.
Reaching the iconic signpost at John O’Groats, Niall expressed immense gratitude to the supporters who rallied behind his campaign. While his journey tested his endurance, he emphasised that the walk was about much more than distance.

“This was about shining a light on preventable blindness and giving hope to people who, with the right care, can have their sight protected or restored,” he said.

A legacy of vision and service

Niall’s 2025 achievement builds on an already impressive record of service. In 2022, he walked the length of New Zealand’s Te Araroa trail to raise funds for an eye clinic in Shinyanga, Tanzania. The effort raised more than $20,000, enough to build the clinic, which opened to a crowd of 260 people waiting for assessment and treatment.

It was during this early work in Tanzania that Niall saw first-hand the urgent need for improved glaucoma services. Many patients arriving at the new clinic showed signs of untreated glaucoma, a condition that leads to irreversible blindness if not detected early. As a result, much of the money raised through Niall’s latest walk will support glaucoma diagnosis and care in Tanzania, alongside services provided by Glaucoma New Zealand.

Sight-changing impact

Eye Care for Africa, founded by Niall, is dedicated to delivering essential eye care to underserved communities in Tanzania. By providing screening, glasses, medical treatment and surgical interventions, the trust offers life-changing support to individuals who would otherwise have limited or no access to eye health services.

The work is strengthened by a long-standing partnership with the Rotary Club of Havelock North and other clubs in District 9930. Clubs have been collecting disused spectacles, which are then catalogued and shipped to Shinyanga.

Once there, Niall ensures the glasses are matched with patients who desperately need them, giving many the gift of clear vision for the first time in years.

The Rotary Club of Havelock North also funds multiple cataract surgeries in Shinyanga, helping restore sight to people who may have lived for years with preventable blindness. Looking ahead, the club hopes to apply for a Rotary Foundation global grant to expand and enhance this vital work.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

• Niall’s Give a Little page can be reached at givealittle.co.nz/cause/eye-care-for-africa-te-araroa
• The Rotary Club of Havelock North welcomes any disused spectacles that can be repurposed for those in need. Email rotaryhavelocknorth@gmail.com for more information.