Kingston teacher recognised for furniture program to inspire youth

Kingston teacher Andrew Tipping’s humble dedication to making meaningful change for the youth of Logan has earned him praise as ‘Logan Legend’ in the eyes of his colleagues. 

Andrew’s thoughtful leadership and genuine belief in the city’s young people is transforming lives through an innovative project called Furniture for Change. 

Andrew is a teacher at The Centre Education Programme (Centre Ed) in Kingston, a flexible school supporting young people from Years 7 to 12 who have detached from mainstream education. 

It was here that Andrew designed and began leading Furniture for Change – a social enterprise developed in partnership with students and community organisations, including St Vincent de Paul (Vinnies). 

Centre Ed colleague Ray Hashim-Jones says the impact of Andrew’s program has been significant. 

‘The program involves marginalised youth who work in league with Vinnies and receive flat pack furniture which is assembled by our young people and distributed back into the community by Vinnies,’ Ray says. 

The program was born directly from students’ concerns about life beyond school, Andrew explains. 

‘Young people voiced their concerns about finding employment opportunities at the end of their journey at school,’ Andrew says. 

‘The project became a perfect vehicle for coupling skill development with access to industry experts and jobs.’ 

ABOVE: Andrew Tipping at The Centre Education Programme in Kingston.

Through Furniture for Change, students plan, launch and operate a small enterprise assembling flat‑pack items such as bedside tables and chests of drawers. 

Alongside hands-on trade skills, students gain real-world experience in financial literacy, budgeting, marketing, customer service, negotiation, project management and logistics – capabilities that are transferable across industries and highly valued by employers. 

Since Andrew began the program in 2020, it has supported around 50 young people to successfully transition from school directly into employment. 

It is also impacting the lives of community members, with Ray describing how the Furniture for Change team stepped up to help a First Nations Elder after a house fire. 

‘The team worked to a budget to source flatpacks and replace their furniture when they got another place, as they were not insured,’ Ray says. 

Even with the project’s success for Logan youth, Ray says Andrew remains ‘very humble about his project and asks for no recognition’. 

Stories like Andrew’s are reminders that Logan Legends aren’t necessarily celebrities or public figures. They can be neighbours, volunteers and community builders whose impact ripples well beyond what they realise. 

PHOTO AT TOP: Andrew Tipping, right, chats with his teaching colleague Ray Hashim-Jones who nominated his as a ‘Logan Legend’.