East Region News
Man with the Pram: fundraising local legend on film
Local legend and long-term Great Places customer John Burkhill – also known as the “Man with the Pram” - is on a mission to walk his way to raising £1M for Macmillan Cancer Support. At 83, this incredible gentleman has raised over £750K for the charity and plans to continue until he reaches his £1M goal. John is also now on the big screen, being the inspiration behind a recent film about his lifetime achievements.
In October 2021, Great Places held a Macmillan Cancer Support coffee morning where John Burkhill was a special guest. At the event, he invited Great Places colleagues to attend the “John Burkhill: One in a Million” film screening.
Inspirational John has dedicated his life to fund raising by competing in over 1000 charity walks and marathons over the years. A credit to the Sheffield community, he is a well-regarded citizen. Not only thought of highly by the locals, but he’s also received countless awards including accolades such as the Pride of Yorkshire award, Freedom of the City, and awarded at the film screening, his second British Empire Medal.
The film highlights a timeline of John’s efforts, sharing the start of his fundraising journey back in 1967 when he took part in his first-ever walk - the Sheffield Star Walk. The film also touches on John tragically losing his daughter to surgery complications, and his beloved wife Jean shortly after to cancer, all in the space of a year. Out of adversity, John saw a challenge to raise as much money as he could for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Raymond Kinsella, Head of Neighbourhoods, said: “John is such a lovely gentleman and with fantastic drive and determination, always smiling and great stories to tell. He is indeed a legend and an inspiration to us all”.
Please take the time to watch the extremely moving film of John’s story, search YouTube for “John Burkhill: One in a Million”, or watch here.
Follow John on Twitter: JOHN - @JohnBurkhillBEM
FILMMAKERS:
Matt Exton - @owl4life1867
Sean Lovell - @sean_sees
