This week’s Shake It Up Hero is Phoebe Young! We may be biased, but Phoebe (who happens to be married to our CEO, Ben) is a fantastic supporter of Shake It Up. Phoebe is currently on maternity leave from her job as a lawyer and enjoys using the time that her little one is asleep to employ her drafting skills and assist us with our communications and newsletters.

What Drives Your Commitment to find a cure for Parkinson’s?

I was first exposed to Parkinson’s when Ben’s grandfather showed symptoms in his later years. Since Ben commenced as CEO of Shake It Up, of course I have learnt so much more about the disease and its widespread impact. Every day I am touched and humbled by the Shake It Up community of people living with Parkinson’s and their incredible families. I am driven to assist in finding that cure because of them.

Why Shake It Up Australia?

Aside from my obvious link through Ben! It is very easy to support Shake It Up because the foundation’s motives are so pure. When you do something towards Shake It Up and their fundraising for research – it feels like you are taking a tangible step closer to finding that cure.

Tell us what you are doing to Shake Things Up?

My skills are in writing so I am always on hand to assist in drafting articles, press releases or newsletter items. Where appropriate, Ben will give me a brief and a word limit and I will draft the piece. Because the foundation is funded by the founding directors, overheads are low and so doing administrative work like drafting frees up the full time staff’s time to get on with other work.

Best advice for people looking to Shake It Up?

Do what you can, where you are, with what you have. It does not need to be a grand gesture (often big ideas get stalled in the planning phase as they become ovewhelming). Every little helps!

Be inspired by some more of our Shake It Up heroes.