A millionaire's African dream

Richard Harvey - 'grown-up gapper'

Giving up a millionaire's lifestyle to do charity work in Africa isn't everyone's idea of a dream retirement.

But when Richard Harvey steps down as chief executive of insurer Aviva on his 57th birthday on 11 July, he is determined to fulfil a long-held ambition to work in the poverty-stricken continent.

That ambition was fuelled by his daughter Jenny's gap year in Uganda and now he and his wife Kay plan to spend a year working on a series of development projects.

"I have been a FTSE chief executive since 1997 and there are a number of things that I have always wanted to do in life.

"I never had the gap year that my children and others did and Aviva is in good shape with a strong management team in place so it's a good time to fulfil a personal ambition that I've held for some time.

"I want to spend some time on specific projects, getting my hands dirty," says Mr Harvey.

Low levels of comfort

While visiting his daughter in Mbale in Uganda he developed some contacts who may help to provide him with work. His daughter worked in Aids education with people who lived in "mud huts without water and light".

Although he earnt £1.9 million last year and lives in an expensive house in Chelsea, south London, he says he has "good tolerance for low levels of comfort" and has "done the camping bit".

Even so, he recognises his limitations.

"You have to admire the young people that live in basic conditions, I don't think I can do that. Thirty years of working in the insurance industry and sitting behind a desk has softened me too much for that."

His business and management skills will be in demand but he says he is also prepared to use his abilities as an amateur motor mechanic and wood and metal worker.

He is aware too of the need to try to understand why African countries have not developed as quickly as other impoverished nations.

The chief executive was inspired by his daughter's work in Africa

"On a direct level I enjoy challenge and change. Everyone wants to feel that they can make a difference to the development of Africa, one of the most besetting problems of our age.

"I think the first point is to try to appreciate why the rate of change has been as slow as it has been there - why Aids and malaria are such intractable problems."

GAPPERS BY AGE 18-24-year-olds - 239,000 25-35-year-old - 90,000 Over 55s - 230,000 Source: Mintel

A committed Christian said to give much of his salary to the church, he has taken part in sponsored charity events and raised £50,000 for breast cancer research after his wife survived the disease.

Mr Harvey acknowledged the irony of being waved off by his children as he sets off for his gap year, saying "at least I can always phone home for help".

And he recognises that he is part of a growing trend.

"What we are seeing now is a second era when people still have their health, their children are independent and they find they have more freedom than in their youth.

Our upper age limit is 75 Voluntary Service Overseas

"It's a fantastic opportunity for me and others like me to fulfil our ambitions."

In fact, the latest figures show that 200,000 people a year over the age of 55 now take gap years. The research, from Mintel, suggests that the number of pre-retirement gappers are fast catching up with the 230,000 18-24 year-olds who take a year out.

And the charity Voluntary Service Overseas says that 20 per cent of its volunteers are now over the age of 50 and the average age is 40.

"We welcome the career and life experience that older people offer and actively encourage them to apply to us. Our upper age limit is 75, so there's nothing to stop people nearing retirement from applying," said a VSO spokeswoman.

Mr Harvey, it seems, is truly part of a growing trend of "grown-up gappers".