About me

Rob Avann (He/Him)
Charity Consultant and Interim CEO
Your friendly, experienced and trusted supporter
I'm Rob, I'm an experienced charity consultant and CEO and this page details my experience which underpins Orchard Park Consulting.
​
But first, a little about me. I'm passionate about social impact, and it's my compassion and empathy that has always drawn me to the charity sector and driven my passion for the causes, the people, and the social good that we do.
​
However, I also understand the challenges, complexity, ambiguity, stress and headaches of leading a charity in our current times. I set up my business because I enjoy working on solutions and supporting leaders, Trustees and non-profit organisations to achieve more.
​
What can you expect from working with me? I'll be honest with you from our initial conversation and throughout our work together. I'm driven by my values and my integrity.
​
I have the experience, skills, tenacity and resourcefulness to support you and your charity. In me, you'll have a trusted, approachable, calm and knowledgeable supporter who is with you at every stage of the journey.
​
Do reach out to me, I'm looking forward to our chat. Feel free to ask me about the name Orchard Park Consulting!
My experience
With my experience of leading charities up to £2m turnover, and of being a Trustee for 5 charities in different parts of the sector, I understand the challenges and opportunities in leadership, strategy and governance.
My passion for the sector drives everything I do and my services are developed from my experience, skills and knowledge of what works. I've set out below my career and voluntary experience that underpins my ability to help and advise you.
​
My skills include:
​
-
Charity governance and senior management expertise: Drawing on my deep knowledge of the sector, I understand what works and have practical experience in all areas of senior management, strategy development and effective governance.
-
Strategic development and organisational growth: Development of ambitious organisational strategies, with experience of growing income, reach, and impact.
-
Establishing positive and highly effective Board, leadership and management cultures with a strong focus on wellbeing
-
Leading remote and hybrid teams and designing future working arrangements
-
History of planning and delivering complex and impactful change projects
-
Mentoring both senior leaders and Trustees
-
Identifying and recruiting exceptional talent
-
Championing equality, diversity and inclusion
-
Personal traits of integrity, empathy, compassion, diligence, positivity, emotional intelligence, openness, diplomacy, self-awareness, vision, pragmatism, resilience, resourcefulness, energy, dedication, and drive.
Experience
CEO
I have served as Chief Executive of two different mid-sized charities (up to £2m turnover), for a total of 8.5 years. I have experience of growing services, reach, impact and income and of transforming management cultures into a positive, collaborative and compassionate environment.
Trustee
I have 16 years' experience as a charity Trustee. I have served 5 very different charities in this capacity, all of different sizes and working within various parts of our sector including mental health, a grant-giving trust, heritage, youth, and collections.
Mentor
I have been mentoring charity CEOs, especially first-time CEOs, since 2020. I'm currently a mentor on a pro-bono basis for both ACEVO and the Cranfield Trust.
Other
Before working directly for charities from 2012, I commissioned services from the sector as a Local Government commissioner, specifically in community safety and domestic violence.
​
From September 2023 to August 2024, I worked for the Labour Party as Head of Specialist Volunteering, developing and implementing a new area of work to identify, recruit and roll out skilled volunteers with discreet expertise that met needs across the Party to help us win the 2024 General Election.
​
I am a Strategic Applicant Consultant for The Fore, assessing grants to support small charities to transform and grow.
​
I am also a member of the Management Committee for Advocate's Bar in the Community service and a member of the Equitable Volunteering Forum, supported by the Mayor of London.