PM congratulates students for quake work

5:39 pm on 23 September 2011

Members of Canterbury University's student volunteer army have been recognised for their post-quake recovery efforts.

Thirty of the volunteers were congratulated by the Prime Minister, John Key, and other dignitaries at an awards ceremony on Friday morning.

Hundreds of Christchurch students became part of the volunteer army following the February earthquake and helped locals by providing food and cleaning up the mess in their communities.

The army's founder, Sam Johnson, says the work isn't over, with several new community jobs popping up every day.

In addition to continuing that community work, Mr Johnson says the army is starting a mentoring programme for young people, focusing on those in the severely quake-damaged eastern suburbs.