Serve for New Zealanders initiative launched

A confidential discussion between Prince Harry and Christchurch’s Student Volunteer Army (SVA) in May last year during the prince’s visit to the University of Canterbury, has culminated today with the launch of Serve for New Zealand: Anzac Day.
The concept, where members of the public are encouraged to undertake some form of volunteering on a national holiday, will be piloted on Anzac Day, coinciding this year with the RSA’s centenary.
Announcing the new national day of service on the fifth anniversary of Canterbury’s biggest earthquake on 22 February 2011, founder Sam Johnson said Serve For New Zealand was all about coming together to do good, not just as a community but as a nation.
“Some of us acknowledge Anzac Day by attending a dawn service while others do so more privately. Serve for New Zealand: Anzac Day creates another opportunity they might like to consider.”
“The RSA’s 100th Anniversary is indeed a fitting day to inspire people to consider volunteering, potentially for their first time. The day is, after all, a reminder of the very meaning of the words ‘servicemen’ and ‘servicewomen’ – putting one’s life on the line will always represent the ultimate in service.”
“In launching this initiative our dream is that thousands of New Zealanders will take some time out on Anzac Day – even if it’s just an hour – to give back to their community in some way. Whether that’s by helping out their elderly neighbour, picking up rubbish along their local walking route, or by offering their time to their favourite charity the week before, we want to connect neighbours through service.
“Prince Harry and I also talked about how, by linking the RSA and the Student Army together, this would facilitate older and younger people to work together. Given his military background he was particularly passionate about that and talked about the incredible, and largely untapped resources and skill base that we have in our communities of retired military and emergency service personnel.”
Johnson says a website – www.servefor.nz – has been set up to for people to pledge their intention to contribute, and to provide suggestions as to how they might like to get involved in the lead up to Anzac Day.
With the University of Canterbury, the RSA and the Student Volunteer Army as founding partners of the Serve for New Zealand concept, Johnson hopes to see the initiative repeated in future years. He notes that many people living outside Canterbury probably aren’t aware that the SVA is still very much alive and well. “It’s the second biggest club on campus at University of Canterbury with more than 1200 members, which runs a school outreach programme and regular community projects such as its popular ‘Connect with the Community’ event targeting various suburbs in recent years.
“After the earthquakes we also set up a foundation to protect and continue the values and ethos of the SVA. What we’ve come to realise is that the most important thing out of the whole Student Army movement and the earthquakes is that people from every religion, and background and socio-economic status can work together on small community projects – and what better way to mark this significant earthquake anniversary and help further our whole identity of being a Kiwi, than having a campaign around that. “This is the beauty underneath the devastation of the earthquakes,” Johnson says.
“This is the really important part of all that for me – that we have this ability to help each other and work together.” To pledge to Serve for New Zealand: Anzac Day, register online at www.servefor.nz, from the 22nd February.
For more information contact:

• Sam Johnson, Chair, Volunteer Army Foundation (VAF)
  [email protected]
  +64 27 441 3927
• Erin Jackson, Campaign Manager / VAF Trustee
  [email protected]
  +64 22 430 8043