Heselden awarded posthumous honour
LEEDS City Council has paid tribute to entrepreneur and philanthropist Jimi Heselden by awarding him a unique honour.
The council presented Mr Heselden’s wife, Julie, with a scroll detailing the honour of Freedom of the City as an acknowledgment of his contribution to the city.
Freedom of the City is the highest honour a city can present but this is the first time a posthumous honour has been issued to anyone in Leeds.
Mr Heselden, chairman of HESCO Bastion, died late last year in a tragic accident near his home in Wetherby.
The Lord Mayor, the leader of council and representatives from the council’s four other political groups paid tribute to Mr Heselden at the meeting before a scroll was presented to his family.
Throughout his life he was generous to a large range of charities including Help for Heroes, St Gemma’s and Martin House Hospice’s and the Leeds Community Foundation, which received £23m alone, £10m of which was donated last year.
The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Coun Jim McKenna, said: “I was delighted and honoured to present Jimi’s family with the scroll and show them the panel in the Banquet Hall with Jimi’s name next to other Honorary Freeman of the City.
“Jimi was very much involved in Leeds life and gave his time and money to both local Leeds charities and other good causes and this selflessness will not be forgotten.”
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