John Burkhill Knighthood: Will Sheffield's legendary 'man with the pram' be knighted after raising £1m?

‘Sir John Burkhill’. It’s got a ring to it.

For years now, Sheffield has cried out for the legendary ‘man with the pram’ to be recognized for his heroic fundraising efforts. Those calls are louder than ever now, after the Steel City today learned John has surpassed his decades-long goal and has officially raised £1million for Macmillan Cancer Research in his lifetime.

It has been 26 years since he set out on marathon after marathon to at first raise £250,000 after losing his wife and daughter within just months of each other in 1991.

In a tweet today, John wrote: “I am lost for words. A daft man with an old pram seemed an impossible dream. But we have done it. You have all bought into what I was trying to do. My only wish would be that my beloved June and Karen were here to see this. Thank you each and everyone who has donated.”

The inspirational 83-year-old told The Star how he had “tears in his eyes” as he learned he had done it, and is being congratulated online and on his usual route by seemingly the whole city. There aren’t enough words to say what an achievement it is.

But there is, of course, one particular honour on everyone’s mind.

"Fantastic news John,” wrote read Marie Rawson on The Star’s Facebook page. “We knew you'd make it. Time for King Charles to honour you with a knighthood for your amazing achievement.”

"The LEGEND has done it,” wrote Pauline O’Neill. “I knew you would. Many congratulations, John, no better man deserves it. All you need now is a knighthood that you so deserve. You are the true meaning of the word, legend.”

"We should be calling you Sir John,” Mic Oshea. “There are no words to describe the amazing things you have done. You are an inspiration to everyone in that if you put you mind to it you can achieve anything.

"You deserve to be recognised by the top brass. It’s a privilege to say I come from the same city as yourself.”

These are just a few of the kind messages for John by his fans today, and are among the hundreds of similar sentiments from the past few years.

So… is it possible?

How can I nominate Sheffield’s John Burkhill for a knighthood?

Firstly, John Burkhill has appeared on the Birthday Honour’s list before – twice, in fact.

He was recognized with a British Empire Medal by the Queen for his achievements in 2013, but received an incredibly rare second medal in 2020.

And, in January, 2023, John attended Westminster Palace to receive a 'British Citizens Award' for services to charitable giving – meaning John's full title is now John Burkhill BEM Bar, BCAv.

But, nevertheless, a lot of Sheffield’s residents want to see him arise as ‘Sir John Burkhill’.

How do you nominate someone for a knighthood?

Any British national or citizen can be nominated for honours for their exceptional services and achievements in everything from charity to education to arts. To nominate someone, there is a form online at the Gov.uk website or an application can be sent by post.

In either case, you’ll need to explain what work your nominee has done and provide two supporting letters from people who know them personally.

The honours are then decided by a committee comprising senior civil servants, before the shortlist then goes to the Prime Minister, then the King to award them. The lists of who's received honours are published twice a year in The Gazette, at new year and in June on the date of the King’s official birthday.

It means the very earliest John Burkhill could get another honour would be the New Year’s list, 2023. But it might still be more complicated than that.

Unfortunately, and something that can be a bitter pill to swallow, is that Sheffield’s legendary fundraiser, the man with the pram, the green-wigged hero who has successfully raised £1m in his lifetime… would be turned down for a knighthood.

The title of ‘Sir’ or ‘Dame’ is awarded to members who have made major contributions at a national level – at a national level.

John may be a hero to his city, but if it came down to the committee, it’s extremely likely they would view his incredible achievements at a local level.

The 2022 birthday honours list for knighthoods included Queen guitarist Brian May, artist Grayson Perry and Olympic heptathlete Denise Lewis.

It’s not all household names of course. How about 2021’s Peter Wanless? You know. The CEO of the NSPCC.

Or British millionaire philanthropist Guy Weston, also knighted in 2021? You may not know them, but that is the level of recognition the committee asks for.

One can point to the fundraising by Captain Sir Tom Moore and the mainstream news splash it made as an example of how some stories are just picked up at a national level, while John, for all his superhuman endeavors, is not ‘Up There’ in the public eye.

All is not lost. The Star understands that both of John’s BEMs came off the back of knighthood recommendations by Macmillan Cancer Research, who are no doubt entering him a third time.

And – in The Star’s opinion – he is more than eligible CBE, awarded to “individuals who have a prominent role at national level, or a leading role at regional level.”

For now, John has remained humble in all his celebrations and is no doubt content with the achievement and the praise from his city.

He has pledged to not stop even now, and will continue fundraising as long as he can. Maybe if we all get him to £2m?

To read more about John Burkhill, or donate to his continuing charity efforts, visit his JustGiving page.