Sheffield school raises £1,500 to help 'man with the pram' John Burkhill reach his £1m fundraising target

John, aged 83, is trying to raise the cash for Macmillan Cancer Support and desperate to meet his target.

With support from Macmillan and The Star, a new campaign was recently launched to help the legendary fundraiser achieve his goal.

MORE: John Burkhill: Sheffield businessman determined to help 'Man With The Pram' hit £1m fundraising goal

In response, students at Firth Park Academy, a secondary school in Shiregreen, raised £1,500 to help those in the city suffering with cancer.

MORE: Cancer patient inspired by John Burkhill's fundraising effort urges Sheffield to help him reach £1m target

John has pushed his pram, which he bought for his daughter Karen in 1961 and who suddenly passed away at the age of 29, the distance equivalent to the moon and back over the last 15 years.

The ‘man with the pram’ is well-known around Sheffield for his trademark green wig and green foam hand he uses to high five his supporters.

He has walked around 1,000 organised race, including some marathons, his most recent race being the Leeds 10k.

He can be seen walking the streets of Sheffield, whether it’s freezing cold or blistering heat, with his pram and a donation bucket and is often approached by people showing support.

The pram also contains a teddy bear named Biggles which belonged to his late wife.

To contribute to John’s campaign, Firth Park Academy students hosted an auction of their art work, held a

non-uniform day and organised a race at a nearby park.

Dean Jones, principal at Firth Park Academy, said: “I am incredibly proud of our students, the generosity and community spirit they’ve shown has been fantastic to see.

“A massive thank you to John Burkhill for coming into school and meeting out students, I could see that they were inspired to meet him, and it was great to hear his stories from his travels.

“We are a community at Firth Park, our students are big-hearted and not afraid to step forward and try and make the world a better place.”

One student said: “What an amazing day meeting a legend of Sheffield.

“It feels so good being part of something that will help people, I feel like a winner.”

Another student said: “John has inspired me because he is 83 years old and still raising money to help others.”

John was unable to walk the streets during the Covid-19 Pandemic due to restrictions and there was a devastating impact on fundraising for Macmillan.

However, he is now back on the streets receiving support from the people and businesses of Sheffield.

A film has been made about John’s endeavours and life called ‘One in a Million’ which can be found on YouTube.

His original goal was to raise £250,000 for the charity, but when he met this target in 2013, he set his new goal at £1 million.

He is now closing in one his ‘magic million’ with over £847,000 so far on his GoFundMe page which can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/madwalker

John has also been recognised with many awards and honours, and in 2012 he was chosen to carry the Olympic Torch as it made its way around the country ahead of the Games.