Man with a Pram portrait to be raffled for charity

A portrait of a charity fundraiser dubbed "the man with the pram" is to be raffled to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

John Burkhill has single-handedly collected more than £1m for the charity following the death of his wife, June, to cancer in 1993, and the death of his daughter, Karen, the year before.

The 87-year-old has become a familiar sight in Sheffield, wearing his signature bright green wig and pushing a customised pram through the city for nearly 20 years.

Artist Pete McKee said: "John is as much Sheffield as is the train station or the Peace Gardens, there's so much love for him in Sheffield and that's why I wanted to celebrate him."

Since his fundraising efforts began, Burkhill has taken part in more than 1,000 events, including the London and New York Marathons.

He reached the £1m milestone in May 2023 and in September of the same year was recognised by then prime minister Rishi Sunak with a Points of Light award.

In January he was awarded a Sheffield Legends Star, with a plaque bearing his name added to the walk of fame outside Sheffield Town Hall.

He has now set himself a new fundraising goal of £2m and hopes the raffle will help reach his target.

McKee's portrait featured in his recent The Boy with a Leg Named Brian exhibition.

After it closed, he opted not to sell the portrait for profit, as he did not want to "make any money out of John" and instead said it would be fitting for any money to go to Macmillan.

Sarah Peet, fundraising manager at Macmillan, said her team were "in awe" of Burkhill's support for the charity over so many years.

"Bringing together John's incredible fundraising legacy and Pete's much-loved artistry is a fantastic way to raise even more funds and awareness, helping us continue our mission to ensure better cancer care for everyone," she said.

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