Fifteen students honoured by The Furniture Makers’ Company

Fifteen students from the East London Furniture Institute have been awarded a prize by The Furniture Makers’ Company in recognition of their exceptional achievement, dedication, and craftsmanship for being the inaugural cohort of learners to complete the T Level Technical Qualification in Craft and Design, Furniture Making.

The special ceremony, which took place on 7 May 2026 at Furniture Makers’ Hall, London, was organised by Dr Tony Smart MBE, Past Master of The Furniture Makers’ Company, who along with other members of the Company have been supportive of the qualification’s development for the past few years.

Debbie Johnson, Master of The Furniture Makers’ Company, gave a commendation to the students before presenting them with a personalised copy of Design of the 20th Century by Charlotte & Peter Fiell.

The event recognised the following recipients Cloe Samanta Aguayo Tarco, Ausrine Babiciute, Marinela Barnacuic, Marwa El Moudni, Christopher Grief, Eman Hussain, Ala’a Khamouch, Patrick King, Selena Mathurin, Joe McDonough, Krishna Odedra, Theodora Okolie, Jaspar Papain, Emilly Schindler and Connor Smyth.

Commenting on the awards, the Master said: “As the first cohort to complete this qualification, these students have demonstrated not only technical skill and creative endeavour, but also the resilience, professionalism, and collaborative spirit that define the future of furniture making.”

The awards were presented in the presence of liveryman Geoffrey Fowler, chief executive officer of the East London Furniture Institute, and liveryman Derek Jones, subject lead of the T Level Technical Qualification in Craft and Design, Furniture Making at the East London Furniture Institute.

Geoffrey Fowler, chief executive officer of the East London Furniture Institute, said: “This has been 12 years in the making, so it is wonderful to see our first cohort graduate and receive recognition from The Furniture Makers’ Company. The quality of the students’ work is already at a professional level, and these young people are ready and willing to enter the world of furniture making.

“We would encourage people to spread the word. If you know a young person aged 15 or 16 who would like to begin a T Level in Furniture Making this September, we would love to hear from them. Equally, if you are a business looking for your next apprentice, these young people would do you proud.

“A huge thank you must also go to Derek Jones, who leads our furniture courses. Without his knowledge, time and dedication to our learners, it would not have been possible to establish such a wonderful and much-needed course.”

The East London Furniture Institute’s T Level programme combines technical education with practical furniture-making skills, helping prepare the next generation of highly skilled craftspeople for the furniture and interiors industry.