John Burkhill: Sheffield celebrates Pram Man's £1m milestone

John Burkhill and Lord Mayor Colin Ross at the event at the city's Winter Garden

People from across Sheffield have come together to celebrate fundraiser John Burkhill reaching his £1m milestone for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Known as The Man With The Pram, he has taken part in more than 1,000 races, including the London and New York marathons, in support of the charity.

At the city's Winter Garden, Lord Mayor Colin Ross suggested he should now be known as the "million pound man".

Mr Burkhill, 84, told the crowd: "It's not me who's done it, it's you."

John Burkhill is known for walking the streets of Sheffield with his daughter's pram

Mr Burkhill, who lost his wife, June, to cancer in 1993 began his fundraising mission in 2007.

He initially hoped to raise £250,000, but after hitting his target he raised it to £1m, finally reaching his goal in May.

Many of those who gathered on Thursday wore green T-shirts and wigs in tribute.

Mr Ross told the crowd: "John is affectionately known by one and all as the 'man with the pram' but now we perhaps ought to refer to him as our 'million pound man'.

"Let's just think of what this actually means, a million pounds. This could fund a nurse for 16 years or answer 58,823 support line calls or give 2,857 people a Macmillan grant and this is all only the work of one man and his magnificent efforts."

Addressing those who attended, Mr Burkhill said: "People say 'well done, John, you've done a brilliant thing'. But I say it different, I say 'it's not me who's done it, it's you who's done it'.

"We've got the best people here in Sheffield, I know that, I've met you."

Philip and Janet Peters at the Winter Garden in Sheffield

To Janet Peters, who attended with husband, Philip, 72, Mr Burkhill's fundraising "means everything".

The 70-year-old said: "I'm a cancer survivor and I've just lost my sister to cancer.

"We are just so grateful for what people like John do for people like us."

Attercliffe resident Christine Richardson described Mr Burkhill as "wonderful"

Christine Richardson, who met Mr Burkhill last year, said: "All these speeches were not just words, they were from the heart.

"If you speak to people, there is something that has touched them about John. He is just wonderful."