Over the course of the next year Shake It Up will be profiling members of our dedicated and passionate team. Today we feature Noel Holmes, a board member and supporter of Shake It Up since its establishment in 2011.
Noel has enjoyed a rich and rewarding career as an Accountant, becoming a senior partner at an accounting firm in 1974 and achieving fellowship of CPA Australia.
Throughout his career Noel has always found time to contribute to the community and charitable causes, both as part of his accounting work and outside his office. When a friend was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease a few years ago, Noel’s commitment to charity took on even more meaning.
That friend is Clyde Campbell, successful businessman and founder of Shake It Up Australia Foundation. Noel and Clyde have been friends for over a decade and given Noel’s background, he was an obvious choice to be involved in Shake It Up. Noel’s career-long commitment to the community is inspiring. He has served as president of the local Lions Club, patron of the Surf Life Saving Club and treasurer of the Cerebral Palsy League dating back to the 1970s. His firm consistently provided accounting and audit support to school P & C’s, sporting clubs and local charities. For the last three years, he has served as a Board Member of Shake It Up Australia Foundation.
Noel describes his seat on the Shake It Up Board as both a serious commitment and a privilege. “Being a Board member does involve a commitment of time but frankly I am very appreciative of the opportunity to serve such a creditable charity.” Noel believes that issues and diseases, like Parkinson’s, will not solve themselves. It will take a collective, community effort to find the cure for Parkinson’s and Noel is very proud to be part of that effort. Further, he thinks that it is important to make his commitment to Shake It Up equally as valuable and skilled as his professional work commitments.
Being charitable necessitates responsibility, time, skilled contributions and sometimes money. Noel believes that we all have the capacity for a contribution to our fellow citizens’ welfare in one form or another. Often our work and family responsibilities dictate the size of that commitment. However for a personal cause, such as helping a friend find the cure for Parkinson’s, that commitment is hugely worthwhile!