- 14/07/2025
Meet Sheffield's iconic Man with the Pram who has raised over £1m for Macmillan Cancer Support.
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00:00My name is John Burkill, better known as the firm man of Sheffield, and I have at the moment raised 1.1 million for Macmillan.
00:16He's Mr Sheffield, he's brilliant at fundraising, walks streets every day, we're proud of him.
00:22He's so selfless, he gives his time to everybody, and he walks for miles, and I don't know how he does it, I really don't know how he does it.
00:34He's up there, his wife and his daughter are smiling on him, and one day hopefully he'll see them again.
00:41He's just, he's a man with the pram, he's everything to Sheffield, because everybody in Sheffield knows him, whether it's kids, adults, young, old, you know, he's just a legend.
00:511967, I'd be his first Sheffield Starwalk, no training, just went out and did it, I think I paid a bob, I think it was a shilling to enter then, and it was won by a bloke called John Wardhurst, I think I finished about an hour behind him.
01:07I couldn't walk that chair, to be honest with you, but since then I've been in all Sheffield Starwalks that finished in 2000, and then when it did finish, in 2000, the last one, I went out on that course and did it 74 times, 900 miles, because I loved it that much, Starwalks, great race, great people, wonderful people, Star.
01:33He means everything to Sheffield, yeah, he's a star.
01:37An absolute legend, if you're from Sheffield, everybody knows who John is, he's raised so much money, it's, yeah, he's a proper Sheffield legend, deserves a knighthood.
01:46She raised 250,000 quid, and people said it would be impossible to do it, but prior to being with Mike Mellon, I'd done a lot of fundraising for various charities, also I'd done a lot of long distance walks, for schools, handicapped schools, and kids, and I thought, well, come in here, we're Joan Diana, I'm going to get someone in with,
02:13and Mike Tomlinson's Racers came in then in 2007, and Jane Tomlinson were lovely people, so the first one I did, I walked to Leeds to do 2007 Jane Tomlinson's race,
02:30and that's how really the fundraisers started more than anything, you know what I mean, and I thought, well, we earn as much as we can, get permission to push me pram in,
02:39you have to ask permission from race directors and everything like you, you have to do that, and you have to start last, for obvious reasons, safety issues and everything, you know what I mean,
02:49get in front of somebody and he falls, so I had to start last, which it doesn't matter to me, I don't always finish last, but most of the time, it doesn't really matter when you finish,
02:59if you finish, if you finish, you're a winner, so it worked, it worked all right, and I set out to raise 250,000 quid, I did it, and people said it was impossible,
03:12just in bucket, because it never comes out of pram, the bucket never comes out of pram, it stays in there, I never ask anybody for any money,
03:21if they want to donate, they will donate, they can't afford to donate, or they won't, they put one penny in that penny, it's one penny we had the day before,
03:30so it works, and it worked, and it worked at 250,000, and then we're on top of that, I thought, let's, let's go a bit higher,
03:38so I went, 500, what are we going to do it, 500,000 pounds, seemed impossible, I kept going, we kept getting it, and to reach your million quid,
03:49I went, absolutely, out of this world, I couldn't believe it, when Anna, our fundraising manager,
03:57at time, and Rob, and Matt, Matt Goodwin, AKBer, and I was just ready for going out, I said, what you're doing here,
04:09and he just, just appeared, he said, you broke the 50, I cried, I said, I can't believe it.
04:16This is the moment, John found out he'd reached his target, and raised a million pounds for Matt Millen.
04:20Do you want to read it out as well?
04:25Yeah, this is John, you've done it, you've hit the million,
04:32I can't believe that, you've done it, you've hit the million, we are so proud of you,
04:38you incredible, we love you millions,
04:43thank you, so much, and I can't believe it,
04:48how do you feel?
04:52I feel, so unboulder,
04:55you go home, they're like, nah,
04:58got to keep going now, let's get a million,
05:00we've got a million, there's another million out there,
05:03I'm going to keep going anyway, no matter what, so.
05:06We can't, at Macmillan, express how grateful we are to John,
05:11for everything he's done over the years for us,
05:13every step he takes in Sheffield,
05:16every penny that's put into that bucket,
05:19all makes an absolute huge difference to Macmillan,
05:22and the lives of people affected by cancer.
05:25We're here for people, whoever,
05:27wherever they live, and whoever they are,
05:29and without people like John fundraising for us,
05:31we wouldn't be here to help those people.
05:34The money that John's raised
05:36could fund Macmillan Nurse for over 17 years,
05:40so the amount of families
05:42that that nurse could help
05:44over those years is absolutely
05:46amazing, and
05:47they're there to give financial,
05:50medical, and practical support
05:52to people when they really do
05:54need our help.
05:55John's one in a million, he really is.
05:58There's not many people
05:59absolutely go out to do what John's done,
06:02and to have such a target,
06:04but then to deliver on that target
06:06is absolutely incredible.
06:08Within Sheffield,
06:09he's an absolute honour to work with,
06:11and I know people really look up to him,
06:13respect him,
06:14people from younger ages
06:16through to the older ages as well,
06:18absolutely everybody in Sheffield
06:20respects John and what he does for us.
06:23John not only is the pride of Sheffield,
06:25he is also the pride of Britain.
06:27He really is one in a kind,
06:31and not all superheroes wear capes,
06:34some wear a wig as well.
06:35It doesn't matter what weather he is,
06:37he's out here collecting every single day,
06:40rain, snow, sleep,
06:42whatever it is,
06:43he's out here collecting,
06:43he's an absolute inspiration,
06:45he really is.
06:46I don't know how he does it,
06:50walking all these miles,
06:53and standing in the cold like this
06:55and meeting people,
06:55you know,
06:56it's amazing,
06:57and having,
06:57at his age,
06:58at 86,
06:59it's incredible how he can keep going.
07:02Well,
07:02I wasn't interested much in lasses,
07:05to be quite honest with you,
07:06because,
07:07whenever,
07:09they all spoke with me,
07:11but we were outside a cinema,
07:13me and old Ronnie Quinn,
07:14another great mate of mine,
07:16my best pal,
07:17but he's passed away and that,
07:19obviously,
07:19and we were outside,
07:22these two lasses were across the road,
07:25outside cinema,
07:27and old Ronnie says to me,
07:29hey there,
07:30Mr. All right,
07:31John,
07:31I says,
07:31well,
07:32I've been sitting here,
07:33they're badly like,
07:34he says,
07:34so,
07:35I said,
07:36all right,
07:36we'll go across,
07:37and I just talked to him,
07:38anyway,
07:39I think something clicked,
07:41straight away with me,
07:42you know what I mean,
07:43and that's how I met her like,
07:45you know what I mean,
07:46and we,
07:48it was,
07:50that time of year,
07:51we lasses,
07:52I mean,
07:53whatever you did,
07:55I was happy,
07:56she was,
07:56oh,
07:57she was a great dancer,
07:58I weren't,
07:58I got two left feet,
08:00but she was,
08:00she was very,
08:01very good,
08:01she was a great dancer,
08:03great dancer,
08:04and that's how I met her.
08:06In 1991,
08:07John's daughter,
08:08Karen,
08:08passed away,
08:09due to complications
08:10after a routine operation.
08:13Tragically,
08:14a short time after,
08:15his wife,
08:15June,
08:16was diagnosed with cancer.
08:17Karen went in to have a,
08:19small operation off her,
08:20stomach,
08:21I believe,
08:23some of them were,
08:24polyp or something,
08:25and,
08:26I recall from work,
08:29I was a lorry driver,
08:30we expressed the 80s then,
08:32and our transport manager,
08:35he,
08:35he was brilliant,
08:37and he'd come out and fetch me,
08:39and he said,
08:39you've done a lot for us,
08:40John,
08:40if you're going to get to the hospital
08:42as soon as you can,
08:44and I thought of June,
08:45because she battled TB
08:47when she was younger,
08:49and I never thought I'd carry them at all,
08:51and he says,
08:52we're on the life of a short machine,
08:53and,
08:54er,
08:56something went wrong with operation,
08:58and she were married then,
09:00like,
09:02and June said,
09:03well,
09:03she's keeping her alive,
09:05she's got a chance,
09:06he said,
09:06no,
09:06and doctor said to me,
09:08well,
09:09you've got a 60-40 chance,
09:11but not in her favour,
09:12he said,
09:13that's,
09:13machine's keeping her alive,
09:15and her husband's decision,
09:18what to do,
09:19so he decided to turn the machine off,
09:22which didn't go down very well,
09:24with my answers at all,
09:25and,
09:27sadly,
09:27she developed cancer from that day,
09:29would you believe,
09:30I think it was a shocker,
09:31that,
09:32and she died the following year,
09:34so,
09:34it was a very sad time at the time,
09:36and one that stands out,
09:38more than anything,
09:39is when me,
09:40my late wife,
09:41you were very,
09:42very poorly,
09:43and,
09:441992,
09:48yeah,
09:48and,
09:49she was,
09:50I can talk about her now,
09:52but she was dying,
09:53and,
09:53she said,
09:54you've won all these trophies,
09:55and medals,
09:56John,
09:56she said,
09:56I've never won a thing in my life,
09:58so I ranked,
09:59organised her at Sheffield,
10:01Madison Committee then,
10:03which were Bob Jackson,
10:04great bloke,
10:05lovely fella,
10:07passed away now,
10:09but he was a great bloke,
10:10and,
10:11he said,
10:12would it be possible,
10:13Bob,
10:14if I could push,
10:15my missus round,
10:16and she's very,
10:17very ill,
10:18and he knew her as well,
10:20he said,
10:20I know,
10:20John,
10:20he said,
10:21but it's not been known before,
10:22by anybody,
10:23I said,
10:23I'd love to push her round,
10:25in a wheelchair,
10:26in Sheffield Marathon,
10:28he said,
10:28so she can get a medal,
10:30so,
10:31he got back to me,
10:33oh,
10:34a week later,
10:35he says,
10:35yes,
10:36he said,
10:36we've got permission,
10:38he says,
10:38he'll have an ambulance following you,
10:40and,
10:41oh,
10:41we were Hank Coase,
10:43and it was fantastic,
10:45and,
10:45we came into that stadium,
10:47an old Don Valley Stadium,
10:49and,
10:49I kid you not,
10:50I cried,
10:51because,
10:52she put both her hands in there,
10:53as if she'd won it.
10:54Sheffield's famous,
10:56Man With The Pram fundraiser,
10:57took on his 1050th race,
11:00at the Sheffield 10K,
11:01in September 2024,
11:03it's unbelievable,
11:04he said,
11:05I didn't think,
11:06I'd ever get to this amount,
11:08and to think,
11:08it all started back in 1967,
11:10when I did my first race.
11:12Sheffield 10K,
11:13were very special,
11:14because,
11:15it was the 1050th race,
11:17and,
11:18it was very special,
11:18I'm not ashamed to say,
11:20I got tears in my eyes,
11:23I really have.
11:25I bet,
11:25yeah,
11:25because the people of Sheffield,
11:26hold you with highly guards,
11:27John,
11:28don't they?
11:28Yeah,
11:29yeah,
11:29the people of Sheffield,
11:30are absolutely all over the country,
11:32for that matter,
11:32but,
11:33it does take me a long time,
11:34to get around these races now,
11:35because everybody wants to stop,
11:37and,
11:37they want a photo,
11:39they want to talk to you,
11:40and you can't ignore them,
11:42so,
11:43Mike always says,
11:44don't worry John,
11:45somebody will be finished by you,
11:47don't you,
11:47when you come in,
11:48so,
11:48one of these days,
11:49it's going to be news,
11:50it's 10 minutes till I'm a finish.
12:12Back in Sheffield,
12:13it's the first Steel City derby,
12:15for five years,
12:16an excitement in the city,
12:17is high,
12:19John goes to each home game,
12:20with his pram,
12:20to collect,
12:21very welcome young man,
12:22how are you?
12:24It's been said,
12:24John is one of the only persons,
12:26in Sheffield,
12:27who can unite the two clubs,
12:28from across the city,
12:29he's a man with a pram,
12:31he's a man with a pram,
12:31he's everything to Sheffield,
12:32because everybody in Sheffield knows him,
12:34whether it's kids,
12:35adults,
12:36young,
12:36old,
12:37you know,
12:37he's just,
12:38he's a legend,
12:39more so than the football clubs here,
12:41oh yeah,
12:42I mean,
12:42you know,
12:42every time I see him,
12:43I always donate something to him,
12:44you know what I mean,
12:45I used to be a bus driver in Sheffield,
12:47so,
12:47when he used to get on the bus,
12:48I used to pass him on the bus,
12:49I used to chuck him a quid out of the window,
12:51or something,
12:51not literally,
12:52like,
12:52you know,
12:53I'd pass him a quid out of the window,
12:54but,
12:54no,
12:55you know,
12:55he's a good guy,
12:57good guy,
12:57he's just an amazing guy,
12:58he's Mr Sheffield,
12:59isn't he?
13:00he's Mr Sheffield,
13:01there's Mr Sheffield Wednesday tours,
13:04um,
13:05his achievements are just,
13:07uh,
13:08are wonderful,
13:10over a million,
13:11and he's not stopping,
13:13he's carrying on,
13:15he's carrying on,
13:16you know,
13:17the motivation that guy must have,
13:19and the energy,
13:20and the other kids are getting a well-deserved,
13:22well-deserved,
13:23and I'm sure,
13:24up there,
13:25his wife and his daughter,
13:27smiling on him,
13:27and he's,
13:28the ones here,
13:29hopefully,
13:29he'll see them again.
13:30Mr Sheffield,
13:31he's brilliant fundraising,
13:33walks streets every day,
13:34he's just,
13:35we're proud of him,
13:36really proud of him.
13:38All right.
13:38I'm fine,
13:39I haven't got some shine,
13:40I don't know.
13:42You take care.
13:43And you.
13:44You take care.
13:48Ah,
13:49lovely.
13:50An absolute legend,
13:51if you're from Sheffield,
13:52everybody knows who John is,
13:53he's raised so much money,
13:55it's,
13:56yeah,
13:56he's a proper Sheffield legend,
13:58deserves an item.
13:59It's phenomenal,
14:00it's like Christmas Day,
14:01he's always walking,
14:02and we live in Chesterfield,
14:03and he's always walking
14:04from Chesterfield to Sheffield,
14:06and you're like,
14:06why would you do that on Christmas Day?
14:08But he raises so much money doing it,
14:09it's just phenomenal,
14:10it's amazing.
14:14The world,
14:17the world.
14:18He's our hero.
14:19They're not heroes,
14:19in there,
14:20it's by football.
14:21This man is.
14:21He means a lot to Sheffield,
14:24this lad.
14:25See him regularly,
14:26he works hard.
14:28He works hard.
14:30But he's a fine man.
14:32Fine man.
14:34Okay,
14:35I'll take care.
14:35I'll take care.
14:45Are you all right?
14:46How are you?
14:47Good to see you.
14:49Good to see you again.
14:50Good to see you again.
14:50You all right?
14:51Yes, I am.
14:53Every Friday,
14:54John sets out with his pram
14:55along the streets of Sheffield,
14:57collecting for Macmillan.
14:59Loyal fans of John's
15:00meet up with him every week
15:01along the route to donate.
15:04I've been out in some terrible weather,
15:06snow, rain,
15:07and sometimes I end up
15:08with a bucket of water
15:09and five goldfish,
15:10John says.
15:11But if there's as much as 10p in there,
15:14then that's 10p more.
15:18Absolutely a wonderful man.
15:20And he's so selfless.
15:23He gives his time to everybody
15:25and he walks for miles
15:27and I don't know how he does it.
15:30I really don't know how he does it.
15:32But he does it,
15:33thank God,
15:34for other people.
15:36What do you think about him
15:37raising a million pounds?
15:38Isn't it just amazing?
15:40How good is that?
15:41You know,
15:41come on.
15:42I couldn't have done it.
15:44But he does it
15:45and he thinks he's done,
15:47you know,
15:48he's so selfless.
15:49He thinks of other people
15:51more than himself.
15:53He's a wonderful man,
15:54he really is.
15:55And I wrote the poem
15:57and I read the poem
15:58to him
15:59and he's thank you.
16:01that's Karen's pram,
16:111961 that,
16:13and on the front is
16:15one of his young teddy bears
16:17which was one up there,
16:19you know what I mean?
16:20and when I'm pushing it,
16:24they're both with me all the time.
16:25They're both on.
16:26So,
16:27I feel that.
16:28I feel that.
16:29Again,
16:30marathons and racing,
16:31I think,
16:32well,
16:33I'm absolutely knackered here.
16:34I can't wait a week,
16:35you know what I mean?
16:36and I go round up front
16:37and I've got my mascot
16:40out front,
16:41Jones,
16:42I call him Biggles,
16:43I dress him up as a pilot
16:44and he looks like Biggles,
16:46doesn't he?
16:46I said,
16:47we'll get round there.
16:47I'll carry on,
16:48he'll say,
16:49carry on,
16:49we'll get round,
16:50we'll be all right.
16:51And we done,
16:52finished.
16:53Macmillan mean a lot to me,
16:54I mean,
16:56and he mean a lot
16:57to hundreds and thousands
16:58of people.
16:59No matter who you are,
17:00what you are,
17:01it takes no prisoners.
17:04I think in a lot of ways,
17:06I don't know whether
17:07I agree with his move,
17:08but whatever,
17:10it takes a lot of cancer,
17:15something I think we've all got
17:17and something can set it off
17:18and something sets it off
17:20like in my message's case,
17:22I think we are calendine,
17:24I think that's what set it off.
17:26But I don't think there's a family
17:27in this country
17:28that's not affected by it.
17:30Even poor old King Charles,
17:32he's got it now.
17:32I met him when he was,
17:33when he was Prince Charles
17:35and no doubt I'll see him again
17:36sometime,
17:37I might get some stick
17:38off his back,
17:39he also tried to get a wig
17:40on his ears once,
17:41he loved that.
17:42He loved that.
17:44He was a lovely bloke
17:45and he'd take no prisoners.
17:47But Macmillan are there,
17:4924 hours a day,
17:50did he?
17:51Did he?
17:51Did he?
17:52And that one pence,
17:54two pence,
17:55if you can afford it,
17:56do it.
17:57Do it no matter what.
17:58And it's all those,
18:00it's all those.
18:01In 2023,
18:02John won the Pride of Britain Awards
18:04for ITV Fundraiser of the Year.
18:07The event was hosted by
18:08Carol Vorderman
18:08and Ashley Banjo
18:09to celebrate the achievements
18:11of truly remarkable people
18:12who make our world
18:14a better place.
18:15Yeah,
18:15I was unfounded
18:16when I found it.
18:18Because when they came
18:19to table,
18:23the fundraisers don't know
18:25until the night
18:26that they've won.
18:27They don't know.
18:28The rest of the people do.
18:29They know they've won.
18:30But I didn't know.
18:32I didn't know.
18:33I ain't got a clue.
18:34But,
18:36I had no inkling at all
18:39that I've won it.
18:40But I wouldn't go
18:41without my pram.
18:42I said,
18:43no problem,
18:43because Anna
18:45and Abigail
18:46told you the same.
18:47I won't go anyway
18:48without my pram.
18:49I am me.
18:51Macmillan
18:52is the pram
18:53and the pram's big.
18:54So,
18:54I wouldn't go here at it.
18:56So,
18:57Angela Ripon
18:58was absolutely brilliant.
19:01Absolutely brilliant
19:02when I realised I won.
19:04Angela Banjo,
19:06what is his name?
19:07Ashley Banjo.
19:09Ashley Banjo,
19:10I think he'd come
19:11and tell me
19:11I'd won Mark.
19:12I thought he must have
19:14been a pal of George Formish
19:15to be quite honest
19:16with the Lord,
19:17but I don't think
19:17he knew who
19:18George Formish were anyway.
19:20Macmillan
19:21has been creating
19:22healing cancer environments
19:23with the NHS
19:24and other partners
19:25since 1976
19:26and they're experts
19:28at what they do.
19:30One of its centres
19:30is based at
19:31Chesterfield Royal Hospital.
19:33Anyone affected by cancer
19:34can drop into the centre
19:35to meet the staff
19:36and volunteers
19:36who will help you
19:37find the information
19:38and support you need.
19:42So,
19:43it was built
19:45and opened
19:45in 2017
19:47and I have worked
19:49here since 2019
19:51so I actually met
19:53John
19:53the first week
19:55that I started here
19:56so he came
19:57to the second
19:58year's birthday party.
20:02So,
20:02we are here
20:03for anybody
20:03that's affected
20:04by cancer
20:04so it's not just
20:05the person
20:06with the diagnosis
20:06it's for
20:07their loved ones,
20:09their carers,
20:10we get a lot
20:11of friends
20:11and family
20:12and we also
20:13get a lot of staff
20:14so people in the hospital
20:16you know,
20:16anybody can come
20:17and talk to us
20:18about anything
20:19to do with cancer.
20:21We've also got people
20:22that might be having
20:23treatment
20:24of their family
20:25might live elsewhere
20:26they come to us
20:27and talk to us
20:28about anything really
20:29so it might be
20:31pre-diagnosis
20:32it might be
20:33you know,
20:34sort of during
20:34the journey as well
20:35or it might be
20:36people that have been
20:37bereaved through cancer
20:38anything at all
20:40we're here for them.
20:41Everybody knows
20:42John
20:42the man with the pram
20:44the crazy man
20:44with the pram
20:45he has done
20:47amazing things
20:47for Macmillan
20:48and I think
20:50you know,
20:50I'm lucky enough
20:51to have read his book
20:52and I think
20:53what the local people
20:54from the area
20:56of particular
20:56Sheffield
20:57and Yorkshire
20:58they
20:59you're humbled
21:00by what
21:01they have
21:02done for you
21:03and
21:04it is quite
21:05incredible John
21:06isn't it
21:06what the local people
21:08think of you
21:10they all know you
21:12my sister
21:13lives in Australia
21:14and when I told her
21:16that I was meeting
21:17you today
21:17and doing some filming
21:18because she used
21:20to live in Sheffield
21:21and she went
21:22oh gosh
21:22yeah she says
21:23I know the man
21:24with the pram
21:24so you know
21:26she's living in Australia
21:27and knows you John
21:28so yeah
21:30it's quite amazing really
21:31but what
21:32you know
21:33I think
21:33through your
21:34sad story
21:35of you know
21:36what unfortunately
21:37happened with your
21:38daughter and your wife
21:39you know
21:40you've raised lots of money
21:41for a lot of charities
21:43but you chose
21:44Macmillan
21:45and what you've done
21:46to sort of raise money
21:47for Macmillan
21:48how much money
21:49you've raised for them
21:50it's you know
21:52it is amazing
21:53so the money
21:54that John's raised
21:56helps
21:57obviously it goes
21:57into the national pot
21:59for Macmillan
21:59so it helps
22:00lots of people
22:02but for us
22:03in the centre
22:04it helps things like
22:06the free booklets
22:07that we give out
22:08to people
22:08it also helps
22:10people in need
22:11sort of financial needs
22:12so people when they're
22:13needing a Macmillan grant
22:14you know
22:16in the cost of living crisis
22:17that we're all facing
22:18at the moment
22:19it means that we can help
22:20lots of people
22:21so that's you know
22:23it's really important
22:24and we're so thankful
22:25John for everything
22:26that you do
22:27I met John
22:28an awful lot of years ago
22:29I used to work on the
22:30Macmillan Mobile Information Units
22:32the big green bus
22:33Betty
22:33that used to go around
22:35all of the East Midlands area
22:37so John came along
22:38to Sheffield
22:39to meet us over in Sheffield
22:40and we were talking about
22:41all the wonderful work
22:42that he did then
22:43so to meet you again today
22:45fantastic
22:45everything that you're still doing now
22:47is just absolutely wonderful
22:49and the difference that you make
22:50as well
22:51but you're definitely a face
22:53for Macmillan
22:54and a real celebrity locally
22:56I remember that much
22:57from then
22:57not just now
22:58I'm lucky enough to be that
23:00it's as simple as that
23:01I mean
23:02to raise all that kind of money
23:04we all
23:05everybody else is all
23:07and people keep saying to me
23:09you've raised all that
23:10I haven't done
23:11we've done it together
23:12put it that way
23:13there's the only way
23:14we can say it really
23:15I'm going to carry on
23:17as long as I can
23:18for Macmillan
23:19as long as I can
23:21while I can put
23:22one foot in front of the other
23:24get me two slices of bread dripping
23:26in the morning
23:26put some WD-40 on my knees
23:29and away we go
23:30but I don't recommend that WD-40
23:32but it doesn't make my wheels squeak
23:34it's not making my knees squeak
23:37so I'm alright with it
23:49I don't read it
24:03I don't recommend that WD-40
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