Karla Sanders | CEO

Karla Sanders founded Sticks ‘n Stones in 2013 alongside 30 passionate teenagers committed to empowering other young people to understand the part we all play in stopping bullying.

A Primary trained teacher, Karla spent 8 years overseas in a number of roles from classroom teaching in West Sydney in an Islamic School to working with Local Authorities to integrate Education, Health, Social Care and community groups as part of Extended Schools legislation.

Since 2013, Karla has been the grown up that supports our young people and our vision for a Bully Free NZ where EVERY (young) person is accepted and respected for who they are while leading the growth and development of our work.

She has committed hundreds and hundreds of unpaid hours to growing our organisation and is the ‘glue’ that keeps everything together.

Jennifer Huddleston | Operations Lead

Jennifer works with Sticks ‘n Stones to develop and maintain our partnerships and networks, as well as managing the ongoing projects we are working on. She joined the SnS Team in 2020 and strongly believes in the importance of centering our taiohi in all of our work. 

Jennifer’s current work is grounded in the understanding that co-design goes beyond a mere exchange of ideas; it is an integral part of how we work WITH taiohi. By involving young people in the decision-making process and within projects from the beginning she has witnessed firsthand the immense impact on taiohi’s personal growth and their ownership of ideas, projects and actions. This is where and how we will see impactful change and move towards an Aotearoa free from bullying.  

Outside of work, Jennifer  keeps busy with her young family on their small farm as well as holds other roles within the community. A strong believer in the power of lifelong learning Jennifer is always pursuing the next opportunity to expand her knowledge and understanding of the world we live in. She is currently working on her Masters of Change and Organisational Resilience which is focusing on Sticks ‘n Stones participatory design approach and developing best practices in this area. 

Krichelle Cunliffe | Accounts Manager

Community Facilitators

Our Community Facilitators are a group of highly motivated individuals who work directly with young people in our partner schools. They are the ones delivering our programmes to our Jr. Ambassadors, Ambassadors and Advocates. This rock star team works hard building relationships with our young people, schools and community; empowering our young people to be involved in decision making, planning and delivery around changing attitudes around bullying and equipping them with the skills and strategies needed to recognize and respond positively to bullying behaviours, as well as understanding the impact of their words and actions. Keep an eye out for these amazing individuals in schools across Central Otago and watch the magic unfold as our young people take lead in making a bullying a thing of the past in Aotearoa.

Cheryl Campbell | Community Facilitator

Cheryl is from Southland and moved to Central Otago 3 years ago. A chartered accountant by trade she has a head for numbers but is a big kid at heart.

She has a wee dog named Harry who is a constant companion and goes on adventures with her.

Cheryl has a creative streak and enjoys carving and spends her spare time fishing and diving down south and riding her bike on the rail trail.