AA Insurance and the Student Volunteer Army (SVA) have run a month-long campaign across New Zealand universities to promote student volunteering, community resilience, and disaster preparedness, at a time when the insurance sector is paying closer attention to natural hazard risk and adaptation. The campaign centred on Clubs Expos at seven universities, using co-branded stands and on‑campus engagement to encourage students to join SVA clubs and engage in local projects and response efforts. The timing coincided with the release of the Insurance Council of New Zealand | Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa (ICNZ) 2025 Annual Review, which calls for more structured action to manage natural hazard exposure and support long‑term insurability.
At the start-of-year Clubs Expos, SVA promoted its activities and invited students to participate in both disaster-related and community-based volunteering. Across the Expos, more than 2,000 students registered to join SVA clubs around the country. Student Volunteer Army founder Sam Johnson said the partnership helped convert interest in volunteering into ongoing involvement. “Clubs Expos are where students discover opportunities that can shape their university experience. With AA Insurance’s support, we were able to connect with students across the country and show how volunteering can build skills and have a real impact – whether during a crisis or through local projects year‑round,” Johnson said.
The campaign concluded with the Big Give at the University of Canterbury, where about 400 students from across the South Island took part in a large-scale volunteering event supporting local initiatives. This year’s Big Give coincided with the 15th anniversary of the Canterbury earthquakes, which led to the formation of the Student Volunteer Army in 2011. “It was meaningful to see students volunteering in Christchurch 15 years on, reflecting the same community spirit that led to SVA’s formation,” AA Insurance chief operating officer Simon Hobbs said.
Hobbs said the collaboration is part of AA Insurance’s broader work on readiness and recovery in the face of more frequent severe weather events. “We know that well‑prepared, well‑connected communities recover faster after disaster, and that’s becoming increasingly important as severe weather events become more frequent. Partnering with the Student Volunteer Army helps equip young people with practical skills, leadership capability, and strong community connections,” he said. Initiatives involving students and local organisations provide an avenue to share preparedness messages with younger New Zealanders and to highlight the role of community networks in response and recovery.
In its 2025 Annual Review, ICNZ sets out its view that reducing exposure to natural hazards is necessary to protect communities and maintain access to cover over time. “Recent severe weather events are a reminder of the damage, disruption, and devastation to life, property, and communities. Insurance plays a critical role in helping New Zealanders get back on their feet after disasters. However, we all know it’s better for New Zealand to work collectively to act before disaster strikes, rather than pick up the pieces afterwards,” ICNZ chief executive Kris Faafoi said.
Faafoi said improving resilience involves changes to planning systems, investment in infrastructure, and better information on risk. “Reducing risk upfront through smarter planning, resilient infrastructure, and better information is essential if we are to protect communities and sustain access to insurance over the long term. The government’s National Adaptation Framework is a vital first step. Now it’s time to move the dial from good intentions to real action,” he said.
