The Student Volunteer Army (SVA) Victoria University division will be on site this Saturday, following their efforts last weekend in which the team supported two properties — removing an estimated six tonnes of silt from one home and a full truckload of waste and damaged belongings from another.

This weekend’s focus is a home, where rubble washed in during the flooding has left the home in an unsafe state, preventing the family from fully returning. The student team will work to clear the site and help restore it to a liveable condition.

Joining the crew on Saturday will be Green Party MP Julie-Anne Genter, who will roll up her sleeves alongside the student volunteers.

“Wellington communities are still dealing with the aftermath of these weather events, and the need for practical, hands-on support hasn’t gone away,” said Sam Johnson (Founder and Chair of SVA). “Our students keep showing up because they know how much it matters — not just for the properties they help clear, but for the families who get to move forward.”

Last weekend’s operation ran from 9am to 6pm — hours longer than planned, as the team chose to stay on and extend their support to neighbouring properties. The Victoria University SVA team have described the response work as the most impactful and rewarding they have undertaken.

The Wellington response is part of SVA’s broader commitment to community recovery, with the team continuing to identify properties in need and return as capacity allows alongside their university study commitments.

The sustained efforts of our volunteers in the Wellington region are made possible through the support of our national partners, AA Insurance and Hummingbird Coffee, who help ensure our teams have the resources and energy needed to stay on the tools.

On-the-ground coordination will be led by Kirby Bradbury-Mills, Recovery Response Lead for the Victoria University SVA division.

About the Student Volunteer Army

The Student Volunteer Army Charitable Trust (SVA) is New Zealand’s largest youth-led volunteering network, with more than 21,000 active student volunteers and 50,000+ members nationwide. Founded in 2011 in the wake of the Canterbury earthquakes, SVA mobilises students from universities and secondary schools across Aotearoa to support communities through everyday volunteering and disaster response. In 2025, SVA deployed 380+ volunteers across 115+ emergency responses. SVA operates active divisions at universities throughout New Zealand, connecting students to meaningful service through its national Service Award Programme, which tracks volunteer hours aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

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