The Children's Society Garden, a Chelsea 2026 gold medal winner, has been rebuilt at Leighton Buzzard Youth Centre as a permanent wellbeing space for young people.

A gold medal-winning garden from this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show has officially opened at Leighton Buzzard Youth Centre, where it will stay permanently as an outdoor wellbeing space for young people and families. Central Bedfordshire Council announced the opening on 10 August. (Central Bedfordshire Council, 10 August 2026)

The garden

The Children’s Society Garden was designed by landscape architect Patrick Clarke of Patrick Clarke Landscapes and won a gold medal at the 2026 show in May, where it was also highly commended in the RHS Environmental Innovation Award. It was built by Yoreland Design Ltd and funded by Project Giving Back for The Children’s Society. (RHS, The Children’s Society Garden)

The RHS describes it as a nurturing sanctuary designed to offer teenagers a sense of safety, peace and connection. Its centrepiece is a canopy of recycled steel rafters inlaid with handcrafted glass that filters dappled light, and reclaimed materials run right through the build: corrugated steel walls, reclaimed tiles and furniture made from waste timber. The planting includes Iris ‘Kent Pride’, ivy-leaved toadflax and ferns for the shaded corners. (RHS)

The move to Leighton Buzzard

After the show closed, the garden was carefully dismantled, transported to Leighton Buzzard Youth Centre and rebuilt over four weeks, with local young people helping to plant the final beds. The council says the youth centre is the garden’s permanent home. (Central Bedfordshire Council)

Councillor Gareth Mackey, the council’s executive member for children and families, said: “We’re proud that Leighton Buzzard Youth Centre has been chosen as the garden’s permanent home. Planting a tree is one of the most hopeful things we can do, and I’m excited to see how this space grows with the young people and families who use it.” (Central Bedfordshire Council)

What it means for you

The space is already being used for youth work sessions, and the council says it will support family sessions, gardening projects and wellbeing initiatives at the centre. Details of youth services and sessions in the town are on the council’s children and young people pages.

It is a rare thing for a Chelsea show garden to land in a Bedfordshire market town rather than a stately home, and it joins the town’s other free-to-visit green spaces; our guide to things to do in Leighton Buzzard covers the rest.