This year,  Shake It Up welcomed new corporate sponsors who are supporting  Parkinson’s Awareness Month in April to raise community awareness and funds for research. We spoke to Central Skips about what inspired their fundraising commitment and how they are making a difference for Parkinson’s research within their organisation.

Central Skips is Newcastle’s sustainable skip bin hire company. Central Skips provides a wide range of skip bin sizes and types at low rates for builders, tradesmen, businesses and home renovators. The company is part of the Recycle Central Group, a leading resource recovery business in the Hunter, Newcastle, and Central Coast regions. We help construction sites, businesses, residents, and communities divert more waste away from landfills. We have several key values, including “We Contribute to our Communities” and “We Lift Up and Support Each Other.”

How are you supporting Parkinson’s Awareness Month in April?

Central Skips is donating $10 for every new skip bin delivery during the month of April.

If you are a business or resident in the Newcastle, Central Coast or Hunter region who hired a skip bin or had a changeover service in April, you have contributed to this initiative, and we thank you.  All our customers are helping to support this cause just by going about their lives and business as usual, as Central Skips has pledged a donation from every skip bin delivered in April.

We have also shared information on our socials on other ways supporters can get involved.  Whilst this initiative has been aligned to coincide with Parkinson’s Awareness Month, we are proud to be a business that contributes to and supports our communities throughout the year. We look forward to our continued role as a Bronze Sponsor of Shake It Up Australia.

Why is it important for your business to support a cause like this one?

Parkinson’s touches the lives of many, including our team at Central Skips and our customers and community.   Samantha Cross, recently appointed Business Development & Engagement Lead,  had the wonderful opportunity to hear Shake It Up Australia founder Clyde Campbell speak in Newcastle in 2013.  Over the years, Samantha has been inspired by the work of Shake it Up and in awe of her wonderful, loving parents: courageous Mum, Pauline, who is living with Parkinson’s, and Dad, Bill, an incredible primary carer.  This personal connection to Parkinson’s led Sam to suggest Shake It Up Australia as a worthy organisation to support, and the team at Central Skips jumped on board without hesitation.  Discussions with colleagues and customers have revealed the prevalence of Parkinson’s in our community and the many others whose lives have been touched by someone who is living with Parkinson’s or has a connection to someone impacted by Parkinson’s.

We are delighted to contribute and support Shake it Up Foundation as a valued sponsor and make a difference in supporting groundbreaking Australian Parkinson’s research.

With 38 Australians diagnosed every day and Parkinson’s disease being the fastest-growing neurological disorder, research is vital to slow, stop and cure Parkinson’s.  Knowing that our support is needed, valued, meaningful, and aligns with our organisational values was an important factor in our decision to support Shake it Up Australia.

Sam says, “Everyone I speak with has been so supportive of this initiative. We love that 100% of the funds raised will go to Parkinson’s research and that we give back to an organisation making significant inroads and who is 100% committed to finding a cure for Parkinson’s.   Whilst we may only provide our Central Skips services locally, we can make a world of difference together.”

Shake It Up wouldn’t be where it is today without our very generous supporters, and we have been fortunate to have the corporate community behind us on our journey.