The new generation is light years away from the common image of gap-year students digging wells

Mark Goldring, VSO

More than 58,000 people contacted the organisation last year, with over 900 being posted to one of the 74 countries where VSO runs projects.

"People feel fed up with the stress and a materialistic lifestyle. They want a job which is rewarding professionally and offers them the chance to give something back," said VSO's director of communications Matthew Bell.

'Tough conditions'

He said that people in their 50s often had 20 to 30 years' professional experience to offer, as well as a more "phlegmatic" approach to the task in hand.

Voluntary working

VSO operates in 60 countries About 2,000 volunteers working at any one time Most placements last two years One in three volunteers extends their posting It costs �15,000 a year to recruit, train and equip each volunteer Recent volunteers included a bee-keeper and an ostrich farmer

"They are able to do a job in tough conditions incredibly well," he said.

The report, published on Monday, also revealed that entire families were applying to work abroad.

Yet despite a growing number of applicants to VSO from all ages groups and backgrounds, the organisations says demand continues to exceed supply, with around 500 vacancies not filled last year.

Primary school teachers, carpenters, builders, mechanics and metal workers were all "desperately needed", said chief executive Mark Goldring.

"The new generation is light years away from the common image of gap-year students digging wells," he said.

Latest project

In a bid to attract more specialist medical workers, the VSO has joined together with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to allow trainee consultant paediatricians to receive professional recognition for their work while spending a year as a VSO volunteer.

The scheme will allow 10 trainees to become a volunteer for a year in one of five developing countries.

People are fed up with stress of office work

Clare Hamer, a specialist registrar in paediatrics, will be the first to take part and leaves for the Gambia this month to take up a post at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Banjul.

She said: "It'll be a big challenge for me, as I'll have to adapt to a totally different work environment and take on staff management responsibilities. "I think it's a brilliant step the Royal College has taken and many of my colleagues have expressed a real interest."