One Team
Student Volunteer Army can only exist through our partnership-based philosophy.
We operate as one team— every volunteer, partner, school, teacher, club, and neighbour who helps with our mission makes up the Student Volunteer Army.
Governance
SVA Founder Sam Johnson rejoined SVA as Chair and is supported by Craig Dunstan, Jessica Rowe, Kim Aiomanu-Bagley, Gareth Harcombe and Eve Hagenson on the trust board.
Operations
Our lean operational team are focused on our volunteer experience and work hand-in-hand with our operational partners School Kit, AA, Idea Services and technology partners CustomD.
SVA Operations Team
Tamlyn Somerford (Auckland)
Head of Fundraising
Tamlyn@sva.org.nz
Te Mania Kohe-Evans (Nelson)
SVA Clubs
temania@sva.org.nz
Millie Galbraith (Christchurch)
Partnerships
millie@sva.org.nz
Ariel Hodgson (Auckland)
SVA Service Award
ariel@sva.org.nz
Clubs
SVA Canterbury
Connor Grant, President
ucpresident@sva.org.nz
@sva_uc
SVA Auckland
Stella Blackwood, President
aucklandpresident@sva.org.nz
@auckland_sva
SVA Lincoln
Charlotte Sweney, President
lincolnclub@sva.org.nz
@lincoln_sva
SVA Victoria
Mia Nina-Adams, President
victoriaclub@sva.org.nz
@vic_sva
SVA Otago
Eleanor Dunn, President
otagoclub@sva.org.nz
@otago_sva
SVA Waikato
Zac Isaac, President
waikato@sva.org.nz
@svawaikato
Schools
Emma Bettle and her team from School Kit support SVA to visit all New Zealand secondary schools schools over a three year period — connecting with teachers and growing the impact of the SVA Service Award.
Our incredible delivery partners
The Simplicity Foundation
The Simplicity Foundation generously supports the SVA Service Award to enable all people to experience the benefits of volunteering - with a particular focus on uplifting disadvantaged communities. As a result of Simplicity’s support, we have been able to expand the number of secondary schools we work with through an equity and diversity lens to grow both wider, with the number of schools we reach, and deeper, with targeted strategies to help those experiencing the greatest barriers to serve.
AA Insurance NZ
AAI supports SVA in all that they do. Their passion for building community resilience greatly aligns with the work of SVA, allowing further upskilling for our young volunteers, and utilising our reach into community to educate on the ways we can be keeping each other safe. After intensive weather events in 2023, it is clear how our work together and their contribution to support us can make a great impact for Aotearoa moving forward.
IHC and IDEA Services
Since 2022, IDEA Services and SVA have been partnering to foster a more inclusive and supportive environment.
People supported by IDEA Services contributed more than 32,000 hours to New Zealand communities in 2024, through the Student Volunteer Army (SVA) Service Award.
Hummingbird Coffee
SVA’s day-to-day Crisis Response programme is funded in part by Hummingbird Coffee. Their partnership allows SVA to respond to crises with the appropriate equipment and infrastructure. Hummingbird's popular RE:START coffee was created in the aftermath of the Canterbury earthquakes and Hummingbird’s Green Bean fund continues to donate $1 for every $100 of green coffee beans it buys to community initiatives throughout New Zealand.
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury (UC) was the founding spot of SVA, and the university club there has historically been our biggest club. Aside from being our longest running partner, UC also supports the SVA UC club directly.
