Jacob Wilkinson-Hall
| Jacob Wilkinson-Hall | |
|---|---|
| Jacob Wilkinson-Hall in 2025Jacob Wilkinson-Hall in 2025 Wilkinson-Hall in 2025 | |
| Born | July 20, 2007 Invercargill, New Zealand |
| 🏫 Education | Southland Boys' High School |
| 💼 Occupation | Student |
| 📆 Years active | 2021–present |
| Known for | Student Volunteer Army; community volunteering; youth development |
Jacob Wilkinson-Hall is a New Zealand community volunteer, youth leader and photographer from Southland, New Zealand. He is known for his involvement with the Student Volunteer Army (SVA), youth development and community volunteering across the Southland region.
Wilkinson-Hall became involved with the Student Volunteer Army while attending Southland Boys' High School and later served as the school's SVA ambassador and Service Award Ambassador. He became involved in organising volunteer projects, recruiting students, coordinating community events and developing opportunities for young people to participate in volunteering.
In October 2025, Wilkinson-Hall coordinated a Student Volunteer Army response following a severe windstorm in Invercargill. Approximately 40 volunteers assisted with clean-up work across the city, including work at properties affected by fallen fences, damaged glasshouses and sheds, leaks and other storm damage.[1]
Early life and education
Wilkinson-Hall attended Southland Boys' High School in Invercargill from 2019 to 2025.
During his time at the school he became involved in a range of extracurricular activities, including robotics, choir, photography and volunteering. He served as Robotics Captain, SVA Ambassador and Head of Photography for the school's digital archive.[2]
The school's 2024 annual publication recorded Wilkinson-Hall's involvement in both robotics and the Student Volunteer Army. It described him as the school's SVA ambassador, participating in online meetings and forums and visiting classes to promote volunteering and the SVA programme.[3]
Wilkinson-Hall completed NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3 during his secondary schooling.[4]
Volunteering
Wilkinson-Hall began volunteering with the Student Volunteer Army in 2021 while still at school. His involvement subsequently developed into leadership and coordination roles.[4]
As an SVA Service Award Ambassador, he helped promote volunteering among students and participated in national meetings and forums. He also worked to encourage younger students to become involved in community service.[3]
His volunteering has extended beyond SVA. His public professional profile lists volunteer involvement with organisations including Red Frogs New Zealand and Scripture Union New Zealand, where he has served as a camp leader.[4]
Wilkinson-Hall has also volunteered through Windsor Community Church, contributing to children's programmes, youth activities, technical production, welcoming and hospitality.[4]
Southland Student Volunteer Army
Wilkinson-Hall became one of the prominent student leaders within the Southland branch of the Student Volunteer Army.
During his time at Southland Boys' High School, he helped organise volunteering opportunities and promote SVA activities to students. The Southland SVA subsequently expanded its activities beyond the school, with volunteers from different schools and tertiary institutions becoming involved in community projects.[1]
The organisation has described Wilkinson-Hall as having played a significant role in growing its operations, organising projects, supporting students, managing communications and building relationships with community organisations across Southland.[5]
2025 Invercargill storm response
In October 2025, following a severe windstorm in Invercargill, Wilkinson-Hall organised a volunteer response through the Southland Student Volunteer Army.
After the storm caused widespread damage, Wilkinson-Hall called for volunteers and for members of the public to identify properties requiring assistance. The response attracted approximately 40 volunteers, including students and adults, and resulted in assistance being provided at numerous properties.[6]
The volunteers undertook tasks including repairing fences, dismantling damaged structures, assisting with minor roof repairs and helping elderly residents who were unable to complete the work themselves.[1]
Emergency Management Southland assisted with assessing the safety of jobs, while local businesses and community organisations supported the response.[6]
Wilkinson-Hall subsequently spoke at an Invercargill City Council meeting about the response. Council minutes recorded that 80 volunteers had initially signed up, with approximately 40 ultimately participating, and that the group received 26 requests for assistance and completed 17 jobs that were considered safe and suitable for the volunteers.[7]
The response received coverage from the Otago Daily Times, which described young volunteers as being on the front lines of the recovery effort.[1]
Community fundraising and events
Wilkinson-Hall has been involved in a number of community fundraising and volunteering projects through the Southland Student Volunteer Army.
In December 2025, he coordinated a food collection campaign supporting Bellyful Invercargill. The campaign collected approximately 200 non-perishable food items, with Kiwi Skips providing collection bins, Go Media supporting advertising and Kennards Hire assisting with collection logistics.[8]
The Southland Student Volunteer Army also supported community events including Christmas in the Park in Invercargill. In December 2025, approximately 16 student volunteers assisted with the event, while the wider Southland SVA had involved approximately 150 students in volunteering activities during the year.[9]
Other SVA activities during Wilkinson-Hall's time as a student leader included community clean-ups, fundraising drives, event support and volunteering opportunities for students from schools throughout Southland.[5]
Youth development
Alongside his community volunteering, Wilkinson-Hall has been involved in youth development through Scripture Union New Zealand. His public profile lists him as a camp leader, including involvement with youth camps such as Lake Hāwea Camp and Te Anau Wind & Water Camp.[4]
Wilkinson-Hall has also been involved with Supakids Camps and other youth-focused activities.[10]
Awards and recognition
Wilkinson-Hall has received recognition for his community and volunteer work.
School recognition
During his time at Southland Boys' High School, Wilkinson-Hall received recognition for his involvement in volunteering, photography, robotics and school activities.
The school's 2024 publication recorded him as the SVA ambassador and described his involvement in promoting the organisation and its volunteering opportunities.[3]
Photography
Wilkinson-Hall works as an event and sports photographer under the name Wilki Photography.
His photography has included coverage of school and community sporting events, particularly rugby. His public professional profile lists event photography among his services.[4]
His photography work has included coverage of Southland secondary school rugby and other regional sporting events.[4]
Other activities
Wilkinson-Hall has participated in school technology and robotics programmes. At Southland Boys' High School he served as Robotics Captain and was involved in the school's robotics programme, including EPro8 competitions.[2][3]
He was also involved in the school's choir and performed with Dimensions. His account of his school years describes choir and music as an important part of his development and confidence.[2]
Personal life
Wilkinson-Hall is from the Southland region of New Zealand.
He has maintained a strong connection with Southland despite beginning tertiary study in Otago. His public profile identifies Dunedin as his current location while continuing to list involvement with Southland organisations and community projects.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Eggleston, Sandy (2025). "Youth on frontlines in storm recovery efforts". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Wilkinson-Hall, Jacob (2 November 2025). "A Journey of Pride: My Time at Southland Boys' High School". Medium. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The Southlandian 2024 (PDF) (Report). Southland Boys' High School. 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 "Jacob Wilkinson-Hall". LinkedIn. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Southland Student Volunteer Army". LinkedIn. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Savory, Logan (28 October 2025). "Meet the Year 13 pupil who sparked the volunteer clean-up". Southland Tribune. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
- ↑ "Minutes of the Inaugural Meeting of Council Held on 4 November 2025" (PDF). Invercargill City Council. 4 November 2025. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
- ↑ Eggleston, Sandy (18 December 2025). "Volunteer group runs food drive for Bellyful". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
- ↑ Savory, Logan (10 December 2025). "Student volunteers pitch in for Xmas in the Park". Southland Tribune. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
- ↑ "Jacob Wilkinson-Hall". Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
External links
- Jacob Wilkinson-Hall – LinkedIn
- Southland Student Volunteer Army
- A Journey of Pride: My Time at Southland Boys' High School
This article "Jacob Wilkinson-Hall" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Jacob Wilkinson-Hall. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
