The Movers & Shakers ‘Parky Charter’ petition
We are supporting the Movers & Shakers, along with Parkinson’s UK and Spotlight YOPD, to call on the government to take action to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s. The Movers & Shakers headed to Downing Street on World Parkinson’s Day (11 April) to discuss their Parky Charter. Do join us by signing the petition!
The Movers & Shakers are made up of (left to right) Mark Mardell, Cure Parkinson’s patrons Paul Mayhew-Archer and Rory Cellan-Jones, Jeremy Paxman, Gillian Lacey-Solymar and Nicholas Mostyn. Each with a career in the public eye, they began meeting at a pub in Notting Hill to ‘have a laugh and a bit of a moan’ about living with Parkinson’s, which they then decided to record and turn into a podcast. Now in its third season, the podcast has become a huge hit with many describing it as a source of information, support, motivation and humour; the team has also recently won the prestigious Broadcasting Press Guild ‘Podcast of the Year’!
Through the thousands of emails and letters the group have received since the podcast started, they have gained real insight into the experiences of others living with the condition. This has led them to the conclusion that Parkinson’s, the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, must be taken more seriously by the government and healthcare providers. This year they intend to use their platform to, in their words, ‘raise something of a stink and both move and shake the powers that be.’
The group have published a Charter – ‘The Parky Charter’ – which describes five things that people affected by Parkinson’s need from the government.
One of the points in the charter highlights that there is currently no cure for Parkinson’s, and calls on the government to increase funding towards research. At Cure Parkinson’s, we believe that people living with Parkinson’s should not be reliant on treatments that were first prescribed in the 1960s, and our goal is to work with urgency to progress research towards a cure. This cannot be done without funding.
The CEOs of the three charities stood alongside the Movers & Shakers in support of the Charter. Left to right, Caroline Rassell (Parkinson’s UK) Carl Beech (Spotlight YOPD) and Helen Matthews (Cure Parkinson’s). Photo credit: Matt Crossick/PA Media Assignments
The Movers & Shakers are a phenomenal voice for the Parkinson’s Community and the Parky Charter embodies the views of a large number of people living with Parkinson’s in the UK. The petition highlights the urgent need for change and better treatments for people living with Parkinson’s, and Cure Parkinson’s is so pleased to be supporting the Movers & Shakers alongside Parkinson’s UK and Spotlight YOPD. Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition, and the Charter calls for the government to give Parkinson’s the attention it deserves and provide investment into research and collaboration towards a cure
Helen Matthews, CEO, Cure Parkinson’s
If you support the principles of the Charter, please sign this petition.
We support the Movers & Shakers call to the government to increase research funding, and the principals of the Charter, and we are delighted to partner with the group, Parkinson’s UK and Spotlight YOPD to bring it to the attention of politicians.
You can listen to the Movers & Shakers episode about ‘The Parky Charter’ below.
If you would like to find out more about how Cure Parkinson’s is working towards finding a cure, please sign up below for the latest insights.
