Source: University of Canterbury – statements
The University of Canterbury (UC) is expanding its near decade-long partnership with New Zealand’s largest student club, the Student Volunteer Army (SVA), to help spread its culture of meaningful volunteering to schools throughout the country with a new Service Award.
“The SVA is a hugely valued and important part of the University and vice versa,” says UC Vice-Chancellor Professor Cheryl de la Rey. “We’re proud to be able to support the SVA’s excellent work spreading the ethos of meaningful volunteering in the community to younger New Zealanders.
“Community engagement is something that UC graduates are known for. It’s one of UC’s future-focused objectives to deliver an education that prepares our students to be enquiring and enables them to create and contribute to a better society.”
Professor De la Rey says it’s important to the UC community to make a positive impact on the hauora (wellbeing) and social sustainability of Ōtautahi Christchurch, Waitaha Canterbury, as well as nationally, throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
SVA Foundation Director Sam Johnson says the SVA Foundation is pleased to continue and expand the close relationship between UC and the SVA to build a culture of and ‘communitarianism’ among the nation’s youth.
“We value our partnership with the University of Canterbury and we look forward to working together to achieve the aspirations for stronger university and community engagement”.
2020 SVA Club President Isabella Fanselow, who is a UC Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) student, says: “As the largest student club on campus with over 3000 members, the SVA continues to thrive and grow.
“We know from our data and wellbeing survey that there’s a direct link between volunteering and student wellbeing. People join SVA to make fri
