HDT has scored in 2025 – with a score of years, and a score of projects. Headingley Development Trust was founded twenty years ago, and in that time, has initiated some twenty projects. And the Trust has just published a book to celebrate this achievement!
Twenty years ago, a national survey identified Headingley as having the highest anomie, or social instability, in England. And a local report, Headingley Renaissance, called for measures to address the consequences of extreme population imbalance here. The catalyst for action was the threat of the loss to the community of the Headingley Primary School building on Bennett Road – which prompted a group of local residents to set up Headingley Development Trust in 2005.
Hundreds of local residents joined the new organisation, which became one of the largest Development Trusts in the country, with over 1,000 members by 2012. The Trust immediately began negotiations with Leeds City Council for the old school, and after four hard years, finally agreed a lease on the building. Renovation work got under way, and in 2011, the building opened as Headingley Enterprise & Arts Centre or HEART.
Since its inception, 42 publicly-spirited local residents have served a Directors of HDT, and fourteen of these have gone above and beyond as Chair or Treasurer or Secretary. The Trust currently employs some two dozen workers. And over a hundred volunteers support the Trust.
HEART is probably the biggest and best known of HDT’s projects. But over the years, there have been many more. Other business enterprises are the Farmers’ Market (every month in the Rose Garden), The Headingley Greengrocer (on North Lane), Headingley Homes, and Tiny Boo (a preschool playspace in HEART). HDT also helped set up the Natural Food Store and Headingley Farm Butcher (both also on North Lane) and Headingley Country Markets (with a regular stall at the Market).
Meanwhile, fifteen interest groups have been set up by HDT. Many are for enlightenment and enjoyment, the first was Cafe Scientifique, followed by Talking Heads, and then Films and Table Tennis at HEART, and the annual Open Gardens. Others aim to intervene in the neighbourhood, including the Community Orchard (and Apple Day), the Neighbourhood Design Statement and the HeadingleyLeeds website, and the campaigning groups Zero Carbon Headingley and the Graffiti Group. (A few other projects are now no longer operational.)
A distinctive feature of HDT is that it has the power to undertake share issues, and it has done so several times, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds. The first issue was in the early years, for the development of HEART. Then a major initiative was Headingley Investment Fund in 2018, which has helped to buy the Greengrocer and support HEART. And in 2025, HDT issued its third share issue, to support current and new projects.
To celebrate twenty years and twenty projects, HDT has published a commemorative book. In sixty abundantly illustrated pages, the book details the history of HDT itself and also of each of its projects, written by the people who got them going. The book was launched at the Farmers’ Market on 13 September 2025, by the Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Barry Anderson – to acclaim by residents. And the book is currently available at HEART.
Richard Tyler
Founder Director, and Editor, HeadingleyLeeds
https://hdtleeds.org.uk/
