Project aim
Legendary Macmillan Fundraiser, John 'Pram Man' Burkhill needs help funding the printing cost of his Biography.
John Burkhill, is affectionately known as 'The Mad Man with The Pram' as for the last 25 years he has walked around the streets of Sheffield wearing his trademark Green Wig and Pushing a Pram around raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
“Even the Queen thinks I am barmy.”
Whether it is pouring it down with rain, snowing or blistering heat...John is absolutely determined to be out there raising money to help people affected by cancer. He originally set a target of raising £250,000 for the charity but in 2013 he reached this goal and then immediately set his sights on raising £1 million for the charity. His current total stands at having raised £300,000 for Macmillan. And we should mention that John, from Handsworth in Sheffield, is now aged 76.
John sadly he lost his wife, June, to cancer and his daughter, Karen, during a routine operation a year later (this was not cancer related). Since then, he has dedicated his life to raising funds for Macmillan having seen the support they provide. He has now completed over 950 races for Macmillan, completing the Great North Run 22 times an incredible London Marathon – 15 times!
His amazing fundraising efforts were recognised as he has been chosen to carry the Olympic torch in Chapeltown on 25 June 2012.
And in the New Years honours list John was chosen to receive the British Empire Medal for his services to charity in 2013.
He also received an the Douglas Macmillan award for his services to Macmillan Cancer Support in 2013.
“The hardest part some days is thinking can I go out and do this, but what keeps me going is a few years ago, I was pushing my pram on a thousand mile walk, part of the Sheffield Star walk. This car stops and I see this young girl in the front, who is obviously ill, surrounded by oxygen tanks, I stopped to let her put money in my bucket and gave her a high five, with my big green foam hand, her little face lit up.
“As I walked away, her dad got out the car, crying, and explained she had leukaemia, he said, “She’ll be talking about that for days to come, you made her so happy”. That, I’m not ashamed to say, made me cry and whenever I am having a bad day I just think of her face and it drives me on.”
About the Book
The book will be called 'Distance is no object' - and tell John's life story
We need to raise £3,000 to cover the costs of printing the book. We aim to release this in stores and online next spring. There will be 2,000 copies printed in the first instance.
It is John's wish that from every copy of the book which is sold every penny will be donated to Macmillan Cancer Support and support his fundraising goal of reaching £1 million. We would like to thank Regional Magazine Company in Sheffield, for donating their time and support in writing and preparing John's book for free. Thank you to The Sheffield Star and Radio Sheffield for their ongoing coverage and support of John's efforts to raise £1m for Macmillan. Useful Links about John