Groups involved in sending volunteers to the developing world have recorded a surge of interest among younger and older people in working abroad over the past year.
VSO, formerly Voluntary Service Overseas, says the numbers of people seeking to become volunteers abroad have almost doubled in the past months.
Some of the biggest increases are among people aged over 55 who have either retired or are financially secure, it says.
Deirdre Finlay of VSO, which is sending 32 Irish volunteers abroad this year, said the heightened interest among older people was particularly welcome.
Other development groups have also recorded a sharp increase in interest in volunteering, while the newly opened Irish Aid volunteering and information centre on Dublin's O'Connell Street says it has had 800 visitors in just two weeks.
Like many similar organisations, VSO volunteers spend at least one year overseas and use their experience in business management, education, health and other areas to share skills in the developing world.
Shorter-term placements are available, although they tend to be reserved for highly experienced volunteers who can hit the ground running once they arrive in a country.
In order to help inform potential volunteers about the options for working abroad, Irish Aid - the Government's official aid programme - opened an information centre in Dublin last month.
It provides members of the public with a range of volunteering options, as well as the potential for volunteering at home.
Volunteer Centres Ireland (VCI), for example, is a national organisation with responsibility for developing volunteering in Ireland, both nationally and locally.
The organisation, which acts as a "broker" between individuals who want to undertake voluntary activity and organisations that seek to involve volunteers, now has 17 centres around the country.
For further information, contact:
VSO at www.vso.ie or 01-8147070
Irish Aid at www.irishaid.gov.ie/centre
Comlámh www.volunteeringoptions.org
Volunteer Centres Ireland www.volunteer.ie
National Volunteer Development Agency www.volunteeringireland.com
