DofE and Harkness Roses launch ‘Youth Without Limits’ charity rose – set to give thousands of young people life-changing opportunities
DofE’s new ‘Youth Without Limits’ charity rose was launched in style today at the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show – as singer and DofE Gold Award holder, Natalie Rushdie wowed guests with a rendition of Edith Piaf’s ‘La Vie En Rose’.
Proceeds from the sale of the ‘Youth Without Limits’ rose, cultivated by Harkness Roses in support of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, will help give thousands of young people the chance to work towards a life-changing DofE Award, and build key skills for their future.
The rose’s debut at the prestigious flower show was supported by Natalie, a world class soprano and gardening enthusiast, who also treated guests to a performance of ‘Fields of Gold’ – which she sang for the Skills section of her own DofE Award.
The charity’s rose, in vibrant shades of orange and pink, was designed and cultivated by Harkness Roses’ Chairman and ‘Rose-Grower-in-Chief’, Philip Harkness. The winning design was selected by DofE Youth Ambassadors, Alexandra Idle-Crane and Lucy Marshall, both 18, from Doncaster and Bromley respectively, and by DofE alumna, Gillian Watson, 86, from Birmingham.
Gillian was one of the first girls to take part in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award after it was opened to girls in 1958. Talking about selecting the ‘Youth Without Limits’ rose, Gillian said: “I chose this rose because it’s vibrant, it stands up and it stays standing up. I feel that if you do DofE, you can achieve a lot, and go on ahead, and this rose seemed symbolic of that.”
Gillian’s daughter Hazel, and granddaughter Megan, also both went on to become DofE Gold Award holders. Reflecting on her DofE Award journey, Gillian said: “Being one of the first girls to do the DofE gave us a great opportunity to do something that not a lot of girls had the chance to – it gave us confidence to try new things, it’s character building, it was something we could achieve on our own, and we could be part of a group and make lots of friends.”
Today, the charity is sharing historic archive footage from ‘Design for Living,’ an early promotional film for the Award, targeted at girls, which shows the broad range of activities they could experience through their DofE, including floristry, which Gillian selected for her DofE Skills section.
Gardening has soared in popularity among young people as a DofE Skill and Volunteering activity, thanks to its many benefits for wellbeing and positive impact on communities1. Between 2021-26, nearly 9,000 young people did horticulture activities for their DofE Skills section, while nearly 41,000 DofE participants did volunteering related to the environment and urban conservation2.
DofE participants at Springwest Academy in Feltham have been cultivating their school garden, Springwest Blooms, as part of their DofE Volunteering activities, where they also planted the first ‘Youth Without Limits’ rose.
Rose Quincey, 14, a student at Springwest Academy in Feltham, who is working towards her Bronze DofE Award said: “Planting the first DofE rose here feels very special. Before I started my DofE, I didn’t have a garden because was I living in a flat, so being able to volunteer in our school garden was a great opportunity for me.
“Through DofE I’ve made new friends and we always have the funniest moments. I’m outside, being active, and not on my phone twenty-four-seven! I’ve also just moved house, so I have a garden at home now which is brand new! I’m looking forward to using my gardening skills to help my parents make it look nice.”
As a lifelong advocate for young people, HRH Prince Philip established The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in 1956 for the “balanced development” of young people’s character. The DofE charity has been equipping and empowering millions of young people from all communities to build the skills, confidence, and resilience they need to get the most out of life, ever since.
Ruth Marvel OBE, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “Gardening and looking after green spaces have always been popular with young people working towards their DofE Awards – helping to not only boost their health and wellbeing, but to support the development of a huge range of essential skills, from planning and creativity to teamwork and resilience.
“As the DofE charity turns 70, we want every young person, whatever their background, to be able to access meaningful enrichment opportunities so they can build confidence, develop essential skills and give back to their communities. By purchasing the ‘Youth Without Limits’ rose, anyone with a passion for horticulture will be helping us remove financial barriers to participation and set many more young people up for success in life and work.”
Since its inception in 1956, the DofE has reached over 15.5 million young people globally3, with over 8.5 million young people having started a DofE Award in the UK – enough people to fill Wembley Stadium 94 times. In 2026, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award charity is as committed now as it was 70 years ago to supporting young people’s development.
Philip Harkness, Chairman and ‘Rose-Grower-in-Chief’ at Harkness Roses, said: “One of the joys of our business is that we sell plants that give people pleasure – and what makes this Youth Without Limits rose even more special is that every time somebody buys one, there’s a five-pound donation per plant that goes to the DofE. And that money helps fund places for young people on the Award, who might not otherwise be in a position to take part.”
“Anything that gets young people involved in nature, horticulture and plants is so important for wellbeing and the future of the planet. So, anything we can do to help share that message and involve young people has got to be our number one priority.”
The ‘Youth Without Limits’ rose, supporting The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, will launch at Chelsea Flower Show 2026. £5 from every purchase goes to the DofE charity.
