Student Volunteer Army conference brings together top volunteering students

The annual Student Volunteer Army (SVA) Clubs Conference, sponsored by AA Insurance, brought together around 30 SVA club executive students for a three-day event focused on crisis response, supporting vulnerable communities, and volunteering in the Napier area.  

Catherine Robertson, Head of Programmes at SVA, explains, “Our three-day conference was dedicated to planning for the year ahead, engaging with national experts on crisis response, and taking meaningful action in the community through hands-on volunteering. 

“This year, we chose Hawke's Bay to host the conference, recognising that even a year after the devastating floods, the community still faces significant recovery challenges. In partnership with the local Hawke's Bay Clean Up Team, we organised daily volunteer efforts to support ongoing clean-up work in the region.” 

One of the clean-up efforts took place at the property of Donald Crosby, a local strawberry farmer who has called Hawke’s Bay home for 16 years. In 2017, he established his greenhouse strawberry farm, becoming an integral part of the community.  

Crosby had to evacuate to his local fire station overnight during last year’s Cyclone Gabrielle. When he came back to his home a few days later, it had been saturated by flood waters, and his 60,000 strawberry plants had been washed away.  

“When I first walked in [to my home], it was pretty graphic. My property had been inundated with over two metres of silt and debris. I was struck by the enormity of the damage as the destruction was just so massive.  

“But I was also amazed at some of the things that survived – one of which was the structure of my greenhouses where I grew my strawberries. Although there was a big clean-up ahead, this gave me hope for the future and that it could be repaired,” stated Crosby.  

Around 30 SVA university club leaders lent Crosby a hand to help restore his farm and property, which still had traces of storm damage to clean up, so he can continue to sell his strawberries.  

The students along with AA Insurance volunteers helped clean up Crosby's sheds that were filled with silt, sorting through his strawberry grow bags, and helping to fix some of the cladding on his main shed which was damaged during the flood. 

Aaron Redmond, Head of Home Claims at AA Insurance and conference keynote speaker, says, “Our partnership with the Student Volunteer Army is all about building stronger, more resilient communities to protect our customers and their belongings. We’ve seen the damage caused by the severe weather, and these events are likely to happen more frequently.  

“By working with SVA, and supporting their clubs conference, we’re creating a way to support local communities and make a difference year-round,” says Redmond.  

The clubs conference ran from Wednesday 20 November to Friday 22 November.