EVER fancied trying out life on a Pacific island? Well now's your chance.

A Malvern man is looking for 5,000 volunteers to take part in a unique social experiment.

Ben Keene, 26, and his friend and co-founder Mark James have set up a website www.tribewanted.com where volunteers can sign up, with the aim of developing a sustainable eco-community on an island in Fiji.

Ben has made a deal with Fijian chief, Tai Mali, for the tribe to use the uninhabited island, now called Adventure Island, for three years.

"We had talked about it for months and decided we could either sit dreaming of the island or we could empty out our bank accounts and go for it," said Ben, a former student of Hillstone and Malvern College

Tribe members pay a fee to join the community and, like an eco-friendly time-share, can then stay for free on the island for different periods of time depending on the sum they pay.

When the 5,000th member joins the tribe, a process of democratic decision making via the Internet will start.

Tribesmen will vote on issues such as who will be chief and what infrastructure the island requires, so Ben cannot say what direction the island will go in.

Experienced in adventure travel and international development, he currently runs his own time-out magazine, Career Break Caf, and will be managing the island for the first year.

"I'm really looking forward to living on the island and having people from all round the world come and hang out. The potential of what we can achieve in terms of producing a community is amazing," he said.

"There's so much value in people working together and living out doors and there's so much fun to be had," he added.

Alex Attwood, from Colwall, has already joined the tribe with his wife Tooda.

"As with any new idea you can be cynical about it and say we don't need westerners moving out to Fiji, but on the other hand there's so much good that can be done," he said.

Tribewanted hopes to contribute to a neighbouring island's existing community in different ways, including donating money to local schools, providing boat engines for fishermen and creating employment.

Mr James said: "The chief feared the worst for his land in terms of a massive hotel complex being built by some vast tour operator."