SVA supports young people across Aotearoa to engage in meaningful volunteering. Our programmes align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and include: 

• Service Award Programme: Operating in 258 schools and recognising 20,000+ students for their volunteering efforts. 

• Ambassador Programme: Empowering student leaders to champion service in their communities. 

• University Clubs: Student-led groups active across Aotearoa New Zealand, especially during crisis responses. 

• SVA App: A platform for logging hours and discovering community-led initiatives. 

Stay connected with us on social media for the latest updates and stories! 

When signing up, an email is automatically sent out with an activation link. Clicking that link will activate the account and allow access to the platform. If the email doesn’t arrive, check your spam folder or get in touch with us and we can resend it. The link is only active for 24 hours so please active your account promptly.  

SVA pins aren’t sent directly to students, they’re delivered to a key contact teacher at your school. To collect your pin, have a chat with your teacher. If you’re not sure who that is, feel free to reach out to us and we’ll help you find them. 

Pins are sent out on the 1st of each month Feb-Nov, based on the hours you’ve logged by the end of the previous month. So make sure to log your hours on time! If your pin is broken or lost, your teacher can request a replacement for you.  

To log hours: 

1. Visit volunteer.sva.org.nz and log in. 

2. Click "Log an activity" and fill in the details. 

3. Enter the start and end times of your volunteering 

4. Click "Log activity." 

Logged hours can be viewed through the Service Record tab on the web, or via the mobile app under Settings > Service Record. 

SVA consider any time you help someone else without getting something in return as volunteering. It is any unpaid work that benefits other people or the environment. This could be helping at school events, coaching a sports team, planting trees, mentoring, baby sitting or running a fundraiser. If you’re unsure, check in with the teacher at school who leads the SVA Service Award.

Yes! You don’t have to wait for an organised event. If you see a need in your community or school, go for it. Whether it’s helping a neighbour, running a food drive, or organising a clean-up. Use the Find, Build, Act, Share model to guide your planning. 

Yes. You can upload up to 24 hours at a time. 

If you are combining ongoing volunteering into one entry like “Soccer coaching -Term 1”, make sure the hours are accurate and your description is clear. 

Only log bulk entries for activities that have already happened. Not for future plans. 

At the moment, activities can only be deleted from our end. If you’d like to remove something, just send us an email with the activity name, the date it happened, and how many hours you logged, we’ll sort it from there! 

No worries. Just email us with the activity name, date, and what needs to be changed. We’ll fix it for you. 

Awesome to see you stepping up! Use the Find, Build, Act, Share model to guide your planning: 

Find – What’s a need in your school or community? Chat with your teacher or SVA Ambassador to get your idea rolling. 

Build – Make a simple plan. Choose a location, set a date, and organise what you’ll need. 

Act – Run your activity. Be clear about what you’re asking for, like donations of food, clothing, or time. If you’re collecting money, your teacher must approve it first. 

Share – Log your hours and tell your community what you did. Inspire others to join in. 

Need help staying organised? Ask us for a planning guide and we’ll send it through. 

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 global goals developed by the United Nations to create a better and more sustainable future for all. They address key global challenges such as poverty, health, education, equality, and climate change. 

At SVA, our work is closely aligned with the SDGs. Through our volunteering programmes, we empower young people to take action in their communities and contribute to these global goals. We believe that small actions at the local level can have a big global impact! 

When you log your hours of volunteering, think about the intention behind the activity and the impact of it. Choose the SDG that best aligns to the work you’ve done to measure your contribution to the goals. You can see the total hours you' contribute on your Summary of Service document.

Learn more about how SVA aligns with the SDGs here: sva.org.nz/sdgs 

While SVA doesn’t directly provide volunteering opportunities, you can connect with local organisations in your region that offer such opportunities. Search for ‘volunteering in your local area’. Many community groups, charities, and local councils are always looking for enthusiastic volunteers. From time to time, volunteering opportunities will be listed in the SVA App. Search your area to see if any opportunities are the right fit for you.

Find something that matters to you and go for it.  

We are unable to send pins directly to individuals. If a teacher is willing to act as a key contact for pin distribution, that’s the ideal solution. Otherwise, digital awards and a Summary of Service are available through the app!  

This usually means the app needs to be reset. Try closing the app completely and clearing the cache in your device settings. You can also try using the web version at volunteer.sva.org.nz. If the issue continues, get in touch and we’ll help. 

Account deletions can be requested at any time. Once scheduled, the account will be removed promptly. 

Yes, as long as the volunteering happened while you were enrolled in high school (not primary or intermediate), you can absolutely log it. Just make sure to include a clear description of what you did and when.