What is the background of Youngcare and how long has it been running?
Officially it has been running 18 months, although the concept has been around two years through my own experience of having to find care for my wife, who is 33. The only 24-hour care I could find for her was aged care. After digging around, and not too deeply, a lot of people like [my wife] Shevaune are living in aged care really from aged 10 to aged 60. The core group we want to help is under 55 and we get calls daily from people in need of appropriate care and that’s what made us do this. It’s offensive and undignified with illness and accident victims to have this to contend with as well.
The three main causes of disability in younger people are brain injuries caused by car accidents. This is fairly topical with the amount of press regarding young people in accidents. MS [multiple sclerosis] is second and the other is motor neurone disease. What we wanted to do initially was not start another charity that faded away. We wanted to set up a business with a business plan. We wanted to create awareness and provide a solution.
How successful has it been in helping those it houses?
We’re creating an apartment with young people in mind, and we’ve asked them what they would like if they needed high care. We’ve set up ways to promote to the community, and business then government will listen. In short, we’ve raised $4 million and need $5 million to complete the first accommodation that we will open in August.
Construction has started and more significant to that is we’ve created an enormous amount of awareness in the community of the problem and have been able to successfully lobby government. The money we’re receiving is to provide for caring with recurrent funding in young care.
We’ve not physically helped anyone so far – 18 residents will move into apartments in August – but how we have helped is given them a voice. For so long it’s been ignored. The 18 people have not been chosen yet. There are probably 700 people who have put in applications. My wife will be the first in with a choice of room.
Are there plans to expand?
It’s a national problem, but young care has been focused on developing a model in partnership with government and the community that is best practice and we’re looking to expand that nationally. We don’t want to build massive complexes that house hundreds.
Whom did you find most helpful and inspirational?
Shevaune was the most inspirational person because she put her story out for the public to see [60 Minutes aired her story earlier this year] and be inspired by. But what has also inspired us is the reaction of the community and business who have given overwhelming support, including big business who see us as an organisation that gets results.
How much more do you feel you need to achieve to make this into the success you envisaged?
I think we can finish with the first [apartment] and know we’ve been successful, but we want to continue to build and do ourselves out of a job so that everyone who needs our help gets it.
How are you now interacting with the community to build your vision?
We’re really promoting our goals of building more young care and continuing and that inspires people to interact with us. Justin Greiner and his team (FICAP) are holding a function [in Sydney] but there are examples all around the country of people having tea parties, bridge nights and sausage sizzles. Promotions with Heron Pharmaceuticals and Suncorp have helped to get our message out.
What is your background and are you fulltime with Youngcare now?
I have a marketing background and sales in News Limited and Pacific Publications and then Flight Centre. This became a full-time role just before Christmas. I felt an obligation to deliver on promise.
How did the relationship with FICAP come about and what are the goals?
FICAP is a classic example of business responding to the call. I had no personal relationship with anyone on the committees. It’s exciting that this is going to major financial institutions and asking for support and getting it.
And, importantly, how is Shevaune?
She’s physically deteriorating but her sense of humour has not diminished and she continues to inspire us and motivate us.
