Sheffield's legendary 'pram man' John Burkhill honoured by the Queen with rare double BEM award
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John Burkhill, famed for his trademark green wig, brightly-coloured shopping trolley and raising more than £750,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support, is set to receive the royal honour after being recognised by the crown for a second time in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
The proud 81-year-old Sheffielder has gained ‘legendary’ status by pounding the pavements collecting donations over four decades, as well as competing in more than 1,000 charity races.
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Hide AdHe received his first BEM for his incredible achievements in 2013 - it is ‘extremely rare’ to receive a second medal, the Star is told.
Currently shielding at home due to the pandemic, John said: “It is such a terrific honour for me. I can hardly believe it.
"I have the people of Sheffield to thank for supporting me over all these years. Sheffield is my city and its people are my family.
"We’re all going through such a heartbreaking time at the moment. I don’t know what the answer is and I miss going out with the pram so much, it makes me sad.
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Hide Ad"But we’ll get through it. And I’ll be back, no doubt about that. As long as I can put one foot in front of the other, I’ll be out and about.”
John, from Handsworth, might be known for raising a smile and a laugh with his hilarious outfits and warm personality, but his back story is a poignant one.
His daughter Karen died suddenly in 1991 and he later tragically lost his wife June to cancer.
“It’s what’s been driving me all these years,” added John. “I've lost a lot of friends over the years to cancer, too. Covid’s the word on the street right now but cancer has never gone away.
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Hide Ad“My dream is to raise a million pounds for Macmillan. We’re not quite there yet, somewhere between £750,000 and £800,000. I’ll get there, mark my words.
"In the meantime, until I can go out again, I want to thank all the amazing people I’ve met across Sheffield, Yorkshire and the country as a whole. Take care and keep smiling.”
You can still donate by visiting John's fundraising page, set up by grandson Danny Burkhill: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/madwalker