Embargoed until 00.01 Thursday 5 June 2008

Salary: £5.10 a day, motorbike included – city workers urged to swap six figure salaries for voluntary work overseas

International development charity VSO is calling on city workers to consider volunteering overseas if mass redundancies and job insecurity cause them to rethink their future.

The charity, which recruits skilled professionals to volunteer in some of the poorest communities in the world, needs more people with business and management skills to come forward to meet growing demand from its overseas partners.

£5.10 is the daily allowance, based on local living costs, for a volunteer in Malawi, where VSO needs people to help improve the management systems of HIV & AIDS organisations so they can support more people. Basic accommodation is provided, along with flights, insurance and, where required, motorbike training.

Although this may be a million miles away from the wine bars of the square mile VSO is emphasising the enormous personal reward volunteering overseas brings to the individual, as well as the real professional development it provides. It has published its Guide To The Ultimate Career Break, to coincide with Volunteers Week (1-7 June) and to inspire potential recruits.

Judith Brodie, director of VSO UK, said: “We urgently need people with business skills to volunteer. People might be surprised that we need business professionals, but many poor countries lack solid infrastructure and systems which prevents people accessing vital public services and local markets. Good business and management practices are a vital part of the fight against poverty.”

Claire Walker from south east London will be travelling to Zambia in October to begin a two year placement with VSO, working as an organisational development adviser for a youth organisation. Claire, 37, is currently Head of Professional Standards Services at the trade body the Recruitment & Employment Confederation. She said: “I didn't think I had the right experience before, but after six years in the business sector I'm ready to use the business skills I have. It's both a personal and a professional decision.

“I’m selling my flat in London, so I’ll have the money to come back to, and I’ll know how much money there will be. I don’t have any concerns that volunteering will adversely affect my career. It’ll add to my CV, employers these days are more understanding and look for the qualities that volunteering brings. I only see volunteering would be an advantage.”

Unlike some career break organisations, VSO does not charge volunteers for the experience. VSO volunteers receive a comprehensive package of benefits including flights, accommodation, insurance, training and a local living allowance. Placements last from one month to two years and people with a broad experience in business and management are required.

Current VSO roles for business and management volunteers include a project manager for a disability organisation in Kenya, a manager to work with an HIV & AIDS prevention organisation in Ethiopia, a finance manager for a Tanzanian hospital and a marketing adviser to work with a fairtrade association in Cambodia.

VSO’s Guide to the Ultimate Career Break gives advice on how to approach your employer for a sabbatical, manage your finances, stay safe and plan your return. The guide can be downloaded free at www.vso.org.uk/ultimatecareerbreak

Top Tips for Planning the Ultimate Career Break

• Actively think about the knowledge and experiences you’ll gather and how to relate them to your job on your return.
• Emphasise the new skills you’ll gain to your boss, you might be surprised by a positive reaction to a request for extended time off.
• Be open to using your skills in places and contexts you wouldn’t normally consider
• Make your money work for you, and get advice from an Independent Financial Advisor on how to plan financially
• Speak to people who’ve already done it, they can help with everything from packing up to picking up where you left off.

VSO Fact Box

• The average age of volunteers is 41.
• VSO works in 34 countries mostly in Africa and Asia.
• There are currently 1,500 volunteers overseas, including over 420 business and management volunteers.
• All VSO volunteers receive flights, accommodation, a local living allowance, insurance and training. They don’t have to pay but are encouraged to fundraise.
• Visit www.vso.org.uk  or call 020 8780 7500.

Ends

For more information please contact Abigail Fulbrook in the VSO Media Office on 020 8780 7410/ 07790 628733/ abigail.fulbrook@vso.org.uk