Our History

On the 4th of September, 2010 a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Canterbury, ravaging the city of Ōtautahi, Christchurch. In the wake of the disaster, 11,000 students mobilised to help with the clean up. This was the beginning of SVA, the Student Volunteer Army.

Our Mission

Our mission is to empower a global volunteer movement ready to mobilise when our community needs us. All our programmes, SVA Skills, the SVA Service Award, and SVA Clubs, are about teaching, celebrating, and empowering volunteers to improve the world they live in.

Our Values

SVA is a network of tens of thousands of volunteers driven by a desire to help their communities. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals give our volunteers a useful framework to make sure that their mahi is connected to a global movement. By shifting between local need and global outlook, SVA volunteers are empowered to make tangible differences in the world every day – whether it’s simply mowing a neighbour’s lawn or taking action to reverse the effects of climate change.

Our Values

SVA is a network of tens of thousands of volunteers driven by a desire to help their communities. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals give our volunteers a useful framework to make sure that their mahi is connected to a global movement. By shifting between local need and global outlook, SVA volunteers are empowered to make tangible differences in the world every day – whether it’s simply mowing a neighbour’s lawn or taking action to reverse the effects of climate change.