Homepage - Adrienne Skelton Consultancy

Hi, I’m Adrienne

I’m an experienced freelance consultant, creating impact through research, strategy and facilitation.

I help charities and social purpose organisations to both increase and measure their impact.

My consultancy specialises in using evidence to understand need, and to set clear, strategic, measurable impact goals.

By using a collaborative approach and proven methodologies like Theory of Change, I help you find greater organisational clarity and focus.

About

I’ve worked within the sector for almost 30 years, including as a senior leader within national funders and charities, and as a non-executive board member. I understand the challenges and complexities your teams are facing. Those I work with appreciate my calm, sensitive style and the way I transform overwhelming tasks into manageable steps. Let’s work together to amplify your impact.
I founded my consultancy in summer 2020 and am a non-executive Director of the Forces in Mind Trust and a senior Associate with Trust Impact.

Before this I held the following roles:

Director, Versus Arthritis (2015-2020)
Head of Evidence, Macmillan Cancer Support (2014-15)
Head of Evidence, Big Lottery – now National Lottery Community Fund (2009-14)
Senior Research Officer, Arts Council England (1998-2009)
Research Consultant, Arts Business Ltd (1996-1998, trained in qualitative and quantitative research methods)

Services

Reviewing your organisational strategy

At key points of strategic review, I can work with you to look back at what’s been achieved and learnt in the previous period, and to consider emerging needs, opportunities and trends. From here we can work collaboratively to build your clarity of focus and energy for the next strategic period.

“Adrienne brings a rare blend of insight, integrity and challenge, and always with the charity’s mission and impact at the forefront” – United St Saviour’s Charity

Creating your impact framework

Working with a small core team drawn from your staff/trustees, I can help you to explore and review the clarity of your organisational purpose and outcomes, using virtual or in-person workshops and tools such as theory of change. From here we can generate strategic clarity and use this to build a framework that allows you to prioritise the activities that maximise your organisation’s positive impact.

“Her collaborative and inclusive approach fostered an open and productive environment and encouraged our team to actively participate” – Bookmark Reading Trust

“Even in the stickiest of moments, Adrienne guided us through… building solutions that encouraged ownership and momentum” – Mental Health Foundation

Measuring your organisational impact

Once you have a clear strategy for impact, I can work with you to identify a small number of key and meaningful outcomes to measure, using (wherever possible) validated tools and comparative datasets. As with all of my work, this is a deeply collaborative process so that you can embed the measures into into your work, and be ready to respond to the data reveal.

“Adrienne opened up a calm space for us in which we could tackle how we capture and describe our impact and learning” – Grapevine Coventry & Warwickshire

Learning and reflection

When you need a learning or review partner to work alongside you to provide an independent perspective on a newer or developing area of your work, I can help. I would carry out a range of semi-structured interviews, look at your data, and pull this into an insight presentation to help you think about ‘what next’. I’m gently challenging, and a ‘big picture’ thinker.

“She was intuitive and displayed a great sense of organisational dynamics” – Royal Osteoporosis Society

“Adrienne’s work has had a significant impact. She accentuated the voice of our customer, and clarified the thoughts of various stakeholders. It was disruptive in a positive way.” – Charity Bank

Workshop design and strategic facilitation

I love to design strategy workshops, and Board or team away days. After some exploratory conversations with you, I shape a bespoke event to meet your needs. I use a range of approaches to energise and build connection, and provide a follow-up to the day. I work in a relational way, which means that I value compassion, authenticity and creating an environment that is inclusive and respectful.

“I valued Adrienne’s clarity and sensitivity and the enthusiasm she generated” – Association of Charitable Foundations Board awayday

“It felt like you met and held the team in just the right way” – Likewise