201 miles for better glaucoma care: Cecilia’s challenge

201 miles for better glaucoma care: Cecilia's challenge

201 miles. 20 stages. And a £12,000 goal.

Our Chair of the Trustee Board, Cecilia Fenerty, is taking on a year of running around the Greater Manchester Ringway to raise money for Glaucoma UK.

A challenge with patients at its heart

After more than 20 years caring for patients as a Consultant Ophthalmologist at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Cecilia knows how much good glaucoma care matters.

Now retired from clinical practice and serving as Chair of Glaucoma UK, she's finding a different way to make a difference: running all 20 stages of the 200-mile Greater Manchester Ringway, plus one extra mile.

Her £12,000 fundraising target has a special meaning. It represents £1 for each of the 12,000 people who shared their experiences through Glaucoma UK's National Patient Voices Survey.

"People living with glaucoma are the real experts on their condition," says Cecilia. "I want to help ensure we use this evidence to push for improvements in glaucoma care and influence policy."

Why Greater Manchester?

The route circles the region where Cecilia spent much of her career, working alongside patients and colleagues to develop glaucoma services.

"Because glaucoma is a lifelong condition, I often cared for the same patients over many years, building lasting relationships and learning so much from them," she says.

"The Greater Manchester Ringway circles the region where so much of that work took place, so it feels particularly fitting to literally go the extra mile here."

A year of miles, whatever the weather

Cecilia began her challenge on 11 November 2026 at the UK and Eire Glaucoma Conference in Manchester, completing her extra mile surrounded by the professional glaucoma community.

Over the coming year, Cecilia will tackle everything from urban paths to exposed moorland. With a November start, she expects her waterproofs and headtorch to get plenty of use.

"Starting a running challenge in Manchester in November may not have been my most sensible decision!" she says.

"But however tough it gets, my challenge has a finish line. For people living with glaucoma, the challenges can last a lifetime. It's the strength and determination of the patients I've cared for over the years that will keep me going."

By supporting Cecilia's challenge, you'll help Glaucoma UK reach more people who need information and support, fund research and keep pushing for better care.

You can help Cecilia make every mile count

Every donation will bring her closer to her £12,000 target. If you're able to give, please visit her JustGiving page, where you can also follow her progress.

"I feel incredibly privileged to continue advocating for patients as Chair of Glaucoma UK," says Cecilia. "I hope you'll follow my progress over the coming months and, if you can, support my challenge."