Bedfordshire homelessness charity Emmaus Village Carlton has welcomed Rob Avann as its new Chief Executive.
He arrives at Emmaus from the Open University Students Association where he has been the chief executive for the last eight years.
Rob is also an active trustee of two other charities and a mentor to new charity chief executives.
Before joining the charity sector, he worked in leading and managing community safety partnerships and commissioning support services for victims of crime.
Rob will be overseeing Emmaus Village Carlton’s current operations, continuing its work supporting people to overcome homelessness and social exclusion. Future plans include a review of the charity’s strategy and a potential repurposing of the site’s former chapel into a workshop, art studio and a space for training and meetings.
The charity provides a home, meaningful work, daily support and funded training for up to 42 people on the site in Carlton.
The charity runs three popular on-site charity shops and a bistro, which all raise vital funds.
“I am absolutely delighted to be joining Emmaus Village Carlton,” said Rob.
“It is an immense privilege to be given the opportunity to lead a charity with such a fantastic mission, especially given the current spiralling cost of living crisis which means our work has never been more important or more relevant.
“Our site has huge potential for the future, but we must also reach out and play a wider role in tackling homelessness locally across our area, working together with other partners and other Emmaus communities.
“I’m grateful to the trustees for choosing me to lead us on this next stage of our journey. I am excited by the challenges and opportunities which lay ahead. The level of support we have from the local community is absolutely fantastic and we couldn’t do what we do without them.”
