Accsys is proud to announce that Accoya wood has been donated to the Parkinson’s UK charity garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026. The donation has been made under the ‘Accoya Gives Back’ charitable giving programme, which supports positive social causes.*
Award winning garden designer and broadcaster, Arit Anderson will create the Show Garden which features Accoya. It is entitled “Parkinson’s UK – A Garden for Every Parkinson’s Journey,” and is sponsored by grant-giving charity, Project Giving Back. The garden seeks to raise awareness of Parkinson’s, a complex neurological condition with more than 40 symptoms, from tremor and pain to fatigue and anxiety – while celebrating the restorative power of gardening and thoughtfully designed green space.
A sculptural wooden Accoya arch designed and manufactured by Millimetre will create a secluded space within the garden. Additionally, an Accoya ‘hand-rill’ that functions as both a flowing water feature and a tactile handrail, will guide visitors along the path. The sound and movement of water provide important sensory cues that can help people with Parkinson’s overcome “freezing,” a sudden, temporary inability to move. Accoya’s exceptional stability and durability in contact with water made it the ideal material to bring Arit’s vision to life.
Arit Anderson said: “This is a very special and personal project. Parkinson’s has affected my family like many others, and despite the growing number of diagnoses each year, it remains widely misunderstood. I hope this garden deepens the understanding of the condition and demonstrate show gardens and gardening can help in symptomatic relief.”
Adam Harris, Project Manager from Millimetre said: “We needed a material that could withstand the test of time, Accoya gave us that durability and stability. It allowed us to create a garden that not only looks beautiful but will endure for years, providing a lasting sanctuary for the Parkinson’s community.”
Laura Keily, Head of Marketing at Accsys, said: “At Accsys we believe materials can play a role in creating spaces that truly matter. Through our Accoya Gives Back programme, we’re proud to support Parkinson’s UK at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Seeing Accoya used by Millimetre to help bring this thoughtful design to life for such an important cause is incredibly exciting, and we look forward to seeing the finished garden at the Show.”
RHS Chelsea Flower Show takes place on the 19-23 May and is expected to draw crowds of over 157,000 visitors.
Following the Show, the garden will be relocated to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, a Parkinson’s Centre of Excellence, where it will be looked after by volunteers including people with Parkinson’s, ensuring its legacy continues to benefit visitors for years to come.
* The Accoya Gives Back programme provides up to 10m³ of Accoya wood annually to projects that deliver positive social impact. The programme aligns with Accsys’ broader ESG goals and product accreditations, including FSC® (CO12330) sourcing, Cradle to Cradle Certification® and Declare label.
