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.
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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 and not-for-profit sector and driven my passion for the causes, the people, and the social good that we do.
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However, I also understand the challenges, complexity, ambiguity, stress and headaches of leading a charity in our current times. I set up my consulting offer because I enjoy working on solutions and supporting leaders, Trustees and non-profit organisations to achieve more.
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I'm a member of Consultants for Good and an associate with Interims for Impact. I am also a Strategic Applicant Consultant with The Fore, a leadership mentor with 4front Partners and an associate consultant with the Association of Independent Museums' AIM Higher programme.
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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 in everything that I do, which are integrity, compassion, inclusion, collaboration and flexibility.
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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.
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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.
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My skills include:
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Charity governance and leadership 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.
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Significant management experience: Developing and managing teams of up to 40 staff and 600 volunteers in an open, inclusive, supportive, empowering and compassionate environment.
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Strategic development and organisational growth: Development of ambitious organisational strategies, with experience of growing income, reach, and impact.
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Leading successful remote and hybrid teams
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Establishing positive and highly effective Board, leadership and management cultures with a strong focus on wellbeing
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Leading remote and hybrid teams and designing future working arrangements
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History of planning and delivering complex and impactful change projects
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Mentoring both senior leaders and trustees
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Identifying and recruiting exceptional talent
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Changing charitable form
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Championing equity, diversity and inclusion
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Personal traits of integrity, empathy, compassion, diligence, positivity, emotional intelligence, openness, diplomacy, self-awareness, vision, pragmatism, resilience, resourcefulness, tenacity, energy, dedication, and drive.
Experience
CEO
I have served as Chief Executive of two different mid-sized charities (up to £2m turnover), for 8+ 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 museum collections.
Mentor
I have been mentoring charity CEOs, especially first-time CEOs, since 2020.
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.
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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 win the 2024 General Election.​
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I also undertake a number of pro bono capacities. I am a leadership mentor for ACEVO; a consultant, mentor and facilitator for the Cranfield Trust; a member of the Management Committee for Advocate's Bar in the Community service; and a member of the Equitable Volunteering Forum, sponsored by the Greater London Authority.