Mouth That Roared

Raised in a working-class family in the western suburbs of Melbourne where you were taught to have a care for those who were struggling, that obligation has stayed with Les Twentyman all his life. For decades, Les has toiled to find accommodation for the homeless and drugaddicted, a decent feed for the famished, and a more fulfilling life for the alienated of our society. A youth worker for Sunshine Council, then Brimbank Council and later, Father Bob Maguire’s Open Family, Les became a legend; the friend of battlers but also of those who’ve made fortunes and wish to give something back to the community. In the last 26 years, the organisation he co-founded, ‘The Twentieth Man’ (now ‘The Les Twentyman Fund’) has helped 17,000 former youth at risk through school, and 500 through university.

The Mouth that Roared tells the Les Twentyman story from thebeginning, replete with tales of tragedy and triumph from a man who has seen life up close, and responded with a big heart. A genuine home-grown hero, he received the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1994, was a finalist for Australian of the Year in 2004, and was awarded Victorian of the Year in 2006.