City to honour generosity of Jimi Heselden

Mr Heselden, renowned for his remarkable selflessness and generosity, will be given the posthumous honour of Freedom of the City as a public memorial to him. His name will be placed alongside previous recipients at Leeds Civic Hall at a service on January 26.

Mr Heselden, 62, chairman of Hesco Bastion, in East Leeds, died in September this year in an accident near his home at Thorp Arch, Wetherby.

Throughout his lifetime he was extremely generous to a large range of charities including Help for Heroes, St Gemma's and Martin House Hospices and the Leeds Community Foundation, which received 23m alone, 10m of which was donated earlier this year.

The Lord Mayor and the council's five group leaders will pay tribute to Mr Heselden at a meeting in January before a scroll is presented to his family as acknowledgement of his inclusion among the Freeman of the City recipients and to show the city's appreciation of Mr Heselden's contribution to Leeds.

The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Coun Jim McKenna, said last night: "Jimi was an amazing man who apart from being a real success story for Leeds was also remarkably selfless and generous, giving millions to local charities and other worthy causes.

"Everyone who knew Jimi will remember his quiet manner, good nature and tremendous pride in being from Leeds. He will be hugely missed."

Coun Keith Wakefield, leader of council said: "Jimi was an extraordinary person, an inspiration and a great role model, and a genuinely nice man, and we felt it only right to break with tradition to honour him in this way.

"Jimi played a real part in city life, sponsoring the Chelsea Garden two years in a row, and achieving gold status at this year's competition – a true historical moment that will not be forgotten. Had Jimi lived, he would almost certainly received freeman status," Coun Wakefield added.

Freedom of the City is the highest honour a city can present, but this is the first time a posthumous honour has been awarded to anyone in the city.

Under council rules, individuals have to be alive to be given freedom of the city, but the council wanted to honour Mr Heselden in a similar style.