A meeting room named after the late Les Twentyman OAM has officially been opened at Footscray Town Hall.
The Les Twentyman Meeting Room was unveiled at a ceremony on Wednesday 19 November, less than two years after the much-loved youth worker died aged 76.
Les Twentyman Foundation chief executive Paul Burke said it was a fitting honour.
“Les showed us what it means to turn compassion into action,” Mr Burke said.
“For decades, he walked the streets of this community, listening, helping and standing up for young people who felt they had no voice. His legacy lives on every day through the outreach workers, youth mentors and school-based programs that continue to support thousands across Melbourne’s west.”
Mr Burke said the ground floor meeting room’s purpose – as a place for community connection – reflected Mr Twentyman’s belief that change happens when people come together.
“So much of Les’ work happened around a table –bringing people together, solving problems, restoring hope.
We’re incredibly grateful to the City of Maribyrnong for recognising his contribution in such a meaningful, permanent way.”
Mr Burke’s reaction is very different to the one he had in April when three councillors voted against the motion to name the room after Mr Twentyman on the grounds that it was the wrong place to do so.
Despite the motion passing 4-3, Mr Burke said he was stunned that the Greens councillors, Bernadette Thomas, Samantha Meredith and Elena Pereyra, voted against it, while Mr Twentyman’s widow, Cherie Coon, who was present for the vote, called it “disgraceful.”
After discussions between the three councillors and the foundation, the motion was presented again at a council meeting in June and passed unanimously.
Mr Twentyman grew up in Braybrook and dedicated his life to helping disadvantaged youth in the western suburbs.
He was given the Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of his youth work, as well as being named Victorian of the Year in 2006 and being a finalist for Australian of the Year in 2004.
Later on Wednesday, Cr Mohamed Semra, a former participant in youth outreach programs run by the Les Twentyman Foundation, was elected Maribyrnong mayor.
