• We are an organisation, made up of concerned local residents and small businesses, formed with the aim of promoting and developing a sustainable community in Headingley.
   

• The HDT Board meets on the second Tuesday of each month. If you have something to raise please contact the Secretary.
   

• We think that a community-owned development trust can help us to take back some control over our environment and gives us exciting new possibilities for creating a thriving community.
   

• The trust has a membership to whom the directors are accountable. Members may be individuals, groups or businesses, but each member gets only one vote, however much they invest.
   

• The trust is organised and promoted by a Board of Directors, drawn from the membership. The Board is initially a self-appointed group, but will be elected annually at the AGM after one year of operation. Want to know more? Read on…What are we aiming to do?
   

• We wish to make a difference in Headingley by acquiring assets (buildings and land) and using them for the good of the community.
   

• Such assets may be being disposed of by the City Council, the Universities or private owners.
   

• We aim to begin with a high-profile project, which will bring us the credibility and recognition to inspire investors and partners to work with us.
   

• We aim to run some enterprises to produce an income which will be used to help promote the businesses and services that a balanced community needs.
   

• We envisage in due course that we will have other projects in operation. See following pages for ideas and examples. What is a Development Trust?

2007 Annual Report - 514KB PDF File

Development Trusts occupy the place where the business, public, community and voluntary sectors meet. There are over 300 Development Trusts across the UK, all community owned and led. They cultivate social and community enterprise and build assets; they secure community prosperity, creating wealth in communities and keeping it there

Development Trusts work for the environmental and social regeneration of an area. This generally means setting up and running a healthy mix of services and facilities which respond to the needs of the community.
Two fantastic projects in London include:

Westway <www.westway.org.uk>, which has developed 23 acres of land under the Westway (the flyover between Westbourne Grove and the White City roundabout). The land is held in trust and developed for community benefit. The Trust owns and manages a sports centre and a fitness club. It works with local schools and other organisations, and has arts and educational programmes, climbing walls, squash courts etc. It uses 20% of its land to provide an income stream which helps to maintain the trust independently of grant funding.

Coin Street <www.coinstreet.org.uk> is an enormous organisation on London’s South Bank, incorporating the OXO tower development and the beautiful walkways and other buildings alongside the Thames. From small beginnings, this Trust now runs affordable housing schemes, nurseries, a huge arts and design enterprise, incorporating workshops and retail outlets as well as restaurants and cafes.

Closer to home, there is the Manor and Castle Trust in Sheffield <www.manorandcastle.org.uk> which in eight years has made a success of too many projects to name. They include affordable housing, a community-run business park and the conversion of a public baths to a youth and community centre. There are many more!

Priory Campus in Barnsley <www.priory-campus.co.uk > operates a £3m building which houses voluntary sector organisations (providing an income) and runs a range of services and training for local people, many of whom were badly affected by the demise of the mining industry.

Development Trusts are independent, self-sufficient (or aiming for self-sufficiency) and not for private profit.

Development Trusts are community based, owned and managed.

Development Trusts are actively involved in partnerships and alliances between the community, voluntary, private and public sectors.

You can find out a lot more by visiting the website of the Development Trusts Association at <www.dta.org.uk> . HDT is a member of the DTA.