John Burkhill: Sheffield’s Man with the Pram set for 18 mile Christmas Day walk for Macmillan Cancer Support

John Burkhill, well known in Sheffield as the 'Man with the Pram', is to carry on with his fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support with another Christmas Day walk this year, despite aleady reaching his huge £1m target this summer.

He has walked every Christmas Day for the last six years for Macmillan, and John will once again take his usual route from NGS Macmillan Unit at Chesterfield to the Macmillan Palliative Care Unit at Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital. This year marks John’s 31st Christmas without his late wife June, whom he lost to cancer a year after they tragically lost their daughter, Karen, during a routine operation. 

John, who will celebrate his 85th birthday in January, will set off at 8am on Christmas Day for the approximate 18-mile journey. A familiar figure on the streets of Sheffield and at races across the country, John will be donning his green wig and pushing his famous pram, which belonged to his late daughter, Karen.

He has completed 1,044 official races in his life, and he has almost raised an astonishing £1.1m for Macmillan. John said: "Of the many thousands of walks I do, this is probably the most special. Every year I get lots of people asking if they can join me for the walk. Whilst I absolutely love the idea of it, I’m afraid it is just not practical for several reasons. If I was to say ‘yes’ to everybody, there would probably be a thousand people marching from Chesterfield to Sheffield! 

"Aside from the stewarding and safety issues a walking crowd would bring, we all have our own pace. Besides, everybody should be at home spending time with their loved ones and family, that is what Christmas is a time for. I no longer have my wonderful wife June and daughter, Karen - who I do this in memory of - so please do treasure your families, and spend as much time together as you possibly can. "Instead of wanting to join me – and I really do appreciate the idea and offers – you can make a donation, however small, either in person to my bucket or online. We’ve got to carry on with so many people dealing with cancer. Thank you, everybody." John, who recently donated his ‘Pride of Britain’ award to the city, will depart at 8am on Christmas Day.

To support John’s fundraising for Macmillan, you can donate online at www.justgiving.com/madwalker, or donate £5 by texting PRAM to 70550.

Hannah Lumb, Macmillan’s relationship fundraising manager, said: "Despite reaching his ‘magic million’ this year, John is determined to carry on with his remarkable fundraising. Far too many people going through a cancer diagnosis are also living in severe financial distress, being forced into making heart-breaking choices and struggling to survive. 

"Every day we hear about the extreme measures people are resorting to, such as washing in a bucket to save on bills or having to decide between feeding their children or travelling to life-saving appointments.

"It’s thanks to fundraisers like John we can continue to do everything we can to provide vital help to those who need it."