The distinguished Melbourne youth employee and social justice campaigner, Les Twentyman, has died aged 76.
The Les Twentyman Basis introduced his loss of life in a press release on Saturday.
“Les impressed us all together with his lifelong dedication to serving to these in want and his profound contribution to our group has positively modified the lives of 1000’s of younger Victorians and their households,” the muse stated.
“Our ideas, love and prayers are with Les’s spouse, Cherie, and his household at this most troublesome time.”
Twentyman grew up in Braybrook in Melbourne’s west. He spent greater than 4 a long time campaigning on points together with youth homelessness, drug abuse, jail reform and social welfare, working in Melbourne’s western suburbs.
His Again to Faculty program aimed to maintain youngsters in schooling, and offers textbooks and different required supplies. The inspiration stated it has helped about 17,000 folks keep at school since launching in 1989.
“In life Les was by no means afraid to say what was wanted to be stated, he gave a voice to the unvoiced and leaves a legacy of serving to the deprived and people in want that may stay long gone his extraordinary life,” the muse stated.
He was named Victorian of the Yr in 2006 and given the medal of the Order of Australia in 1994.
Invoice Shorten, the NDIS minister, paid tribute to Twentyman as “considered one of Melbourne’s large characters”.
“We have been in touch simply this week and he labored proper up ‘til the final,” Shorten stated in a social media publish. “Ideas and prayers to his household, mates, colleagues and all of the folks he helped alongside his highway much less travelled.”
The deputy premier of Victoria, Ben Carroll, stated he was deeply saddened by the information.
“Throughout my time within the portfolios of youth justice, crime prevention and schooling he was all the time useful, reminding me to see the kid first and give attention to the causes of crime,” he posted on X.
“[Twentyman’s] work in early intervention saved lives.”