Jimi Heselden: Legacy of Segway millionaire lives on in community project which transforms lives

The Old Fire Station in Gipton is home to six local charities and a cooking school.

Research commisioned to mark the anniversary by Leeds Beckett University has shown the hub is generating around £20 of social return for every £1 invested – and has saved the NHS some £365,004 by providing services including covid vaccinations and wellbeing support.

Some 73.6 per cent of those surveyed as part of the research said coming to the Old Fire Station helped them feel less lonely and 64.6 per cent said it had helped them make friends.

The creation of the Hub was made possible by money bequeathed from millionaire Jimi Heselden, who died in a Segway accident near his home in Boston Spa in 2010.

Mr Heselden was known for philanthropy and for championing Leeds charities.

Trustees are now calling for other communities to set up similar enterprises as a blueprint for social change.

Jonathan Morgan, who is a trustee of the GFS Community Enterprise, which operates The Old Fire Station, said: “The Old Fire Station is a beacon of success that must be replicated throughout the city, the county and across the rest of the UK.

"The figures are astounding, and its business model can be a blueprint for positive social change.

“To see such an impact in this seriously deprived part of Leeds and to understand the benefits The Old Fire Station has delivered is truly inspiring.

"Many past models are simply not fit for purpose, and we must learn from the successes of The Old Fire Station and change the way we, as a society, improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable citizens.”