Charity work of ophthalmologist duo is recognised

A pair of UK ophthalmologists have been shortlisted for humanitarian honours in the 2017 Bond International Development Awards.

Larry Benjamin has been named as a finalist in the Humanitarian Award category, while Robert Walters is named in the Outstanding Individual category.

Both finalists have been shortlisted as a result of their dedicated work with global blindness prevention charity Orbis.

Director of external relations at Orbis UK, Allan Thompson, said: “Both Larry and Robert have selflessly given up countless free time to tackle avoidable blindness overseas. They are amazing ambassadors for Orbis and their work has had a real impact on countless children across the world.”

For 22 years, Mr Walters has donated his time to support the charity in its training of ophthalmologists in developing countries. He has also chaired its board meetings and lobbied other organisations to support Orbis’ work. His charity work has taken him to Sudan, China, Ethiopia, Nepal and Vietnam.

Mr Benjamin has been volunteering with Orbis since 2004, training ophthalmologists and using his skills to treat children in some of the poorest regions of the world, including Myanmar, Pakistan, Syria, Ghana and Zambia.

The Bond International Development Awards are in their fourth year and aim to celebrate work undertaken in the development sector.

Director of communications at Bond, Mike Wright, said: “We are delighted to be honoring such a diverse range of humanitarians and shining a light on these inspirational individuals and the incredible work they are doing. The standard of entries this year has been particularly high across all award categories, so Larry and Robert are in great company and should be proud of their award nominations.”

The winners will be announced at a ceremony on London on 20 March.