our team

Meet jen—our founder & director

A woman with short blonde hair smiling, holding a Starbucks coffee cup, standing in a hallway with turquoise walls and open doors.

“I have always loved school stationery. The smell of a fresh box of crayons and the crisp pages in a new notebook. The search for the perfect backpack or bag to carry all of the books for the year. However, I quickly learned that this is not true for everyone. 

The season of joy and excitement for a new year of learning and opportunities, sporting events and school discos, all quickly changing due to students who faced death in their immediate family, serious illnesses, house fires, loss of job, covid, sudden moves and the list continues to grow. I listened to stories of students, right here in our local community, that would prefer to stay home from school than walk into the first day of school without the proper tools. 

My heart was immediately broken. It was in that moment that I knew we must do something, even one small thing, to try to make a change. 

Sometimes circumstances arise and we simply need a reason to look up and see hope delivered beyond our expectation. That is what Back2School Project is doing. We are committed to bringing community together to help others in our community. We are living out hope in action. And we invite you to join us on this mission.”

Meet the b2sp Team

  • Close-up of a smiling young woman with curly red hair and freckles, wearing a white shirt, against a plain neutral background.

    Rylee Cherry

    Social Media & Marketing Coordinator

  • Close-up of a smiling man with a shaved head, blue eyes, and light skin, outdoors with blurred greenery in the background.

    Hamish taylor

    Chairman of the Element One Board of Trustees

  • Stephanie Justice

    Treasurer of the Element One Board of Trustees

  • A senior woman with white curly hair wearing a peach hoodie and purple earrings, sitting on a wooden chair against a plain white wall.

    Sharon Maisey

    Member of the Element One Board of Trustees

  • Justin Cherry

    Organisational & Wellbeing Consultant

Behind every backpack is a story of hope and care, written by our incredible volunteers.

  • Group of children holding backpacks in front of their faces, standing outside.

  • Group of diverse people gathered in a classroom for a back-to-school project, with tables of colorful notebooks and supplies, and a large blue banner that reads 'Back 2 School Project'.

  • Group of young girls and two adults posing indoors in front of a teal wall. Some are seated at tables, others are standing behind them, smiling for the photo.

  • A group of women smiling and holding backpacks behind a table with school supplies inside a classroom with a teal wall.

  • Group of smiling people standing behind a table filled with colorful stacks of papers, in a room with a green wall and fluorescent lighting.

Meet our junior volunteers

This fantastic group of primary-aged students has kindly jumped on board to help us share the story of B2SP. While we deeply value the privacy of the tamariki we support, we also know how important it is to tell these stories. These young volunteers have generously modelled for us, proudly showing off their backpacks to help bring our mission to life. A huge thank you to our Junior Volunteers for their kindness and support!

A woman taking a picture of a young girl sitting on a playground structure, with a boy in the background riding a spring rider. The setting is outdoors with trees and buildings in the background.
Group of five children with light to medium skin tones playing outside near rocks, with a green slide and playground structure in the background, under a partly cloudy sky.

Want to volunteer with us?

Our volunteers are most needed in January. This is when we prep, shop, pack and deliver hundreds of unique backpacks with brand new stationery kits. Whether you’re bringing your team, coming with a few mates, or showing up solo, there’s a place for you to make a real difference.

Sign up with the Volunteer Registration Form below and we will be in contact about upcoming volunteering opportunities!

MORE ABOUT THE B2SP STORY