Table 2.

Cross-cutting lessons of the SVA mobilisations across disasters

Why	Meet an unmet need / fill a disaster response gap
	Volunteering after a disaster can be empowering
Who	Students care about their communities and can bring a lot to disaster response
	Students want to be led by students
When	Take time to determine whether to respond to an event; know your limits
	Take time to collaborate or work with groups to identify possibilities for action
	Act as quickly as possible
What	Carry out work with tangible or visible impact
	Psychosocial first aid is an inherent component of disaster response work
How	Operate under a brand and leverage (social) media
	Create a “culture” which supports casual and enjoyable volunteering
	Maximise innovation and adaptability, and improve efficiency wherever possible
	Ask for forgiveness not permission, although this brings risks