BH Privacy Policy

Bromley Humanists (BH) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered in England and Wales. Our charity number is ---------------. We collect personal information from our members, volunteers, subscribers, donors and participants in our events. This means we decide how and why your data is used. Your privacy is very important to us. We will always keep your personal data safe and secure.

1. The Information We Collect

We collect and process different types of personal information depending on how you interact with us. This includes:

• Members: Name, postal address, email address, phone number, and voting records for General Meetings or AGMs.

• Volunteers: Name, postal address, email address, phone number.

• Newsletter Subscribers: Name and email address.

• Donors: Name, contact details, bank or card details, donation history, and UK taxpayer status (needed for Gift Aid).

• Activity and Event Attendees: Name, contact details, and emergency contact info.

• Vulnerable Individuals: Health or medical needs, dietary requirements, accessibility needs, or safeguarding details to keep you safe at our events.

• Media and Promotion: Photos and video footage taken at our community events and educational activities.

• Website Users: IP addresses and cookies (if you use our website).

2. How We Get Your Information

Most of the data we hold is given to us directly by you. You give us this data when you:

• Apply to become a voting member or a volunteer.

• Sign up for our email newsletter on our website.

• Donate or sign a Gift Aid form.

• Book a spot for an educational or community activity.

• Attend an event where we are taking photos or videos.

• Contact us via email, phone, or social media.

3. Why We Use Your Information (Lawful Bases)

Under UK data protection law, we must have a valid legal reason to use your data. We use your data for the following reasons:

• Charity Members: We use our members’ data to manage our official membership, send notice of General Meetings, and manage voting. These are legal obligations under our constitution, rules, and contract.

• Newsletter Subscribers: We email our newsletter subscribers updates, news, and details about upcoming activities—with your consent (you can unsubscribe at any time).

• Donors: We use our donors’ data to process donations and claim Gift Aid tax relief from the government, which is a legal obligation under UK tax law.

• Activity Attendees: We use our activity attendees’ data to run community events safely, track bookings, and contact them if details change. These are legitimate requirements for running our charity activities efficiently.

• Vulnerable Individuals: We use data from some vulnerable individuals to provide tailored care, ensure medical safety, and make accessibility adjustments. These are under explicit consent or substantial public interest (Safeguarding).

• People in Photos/Videos: We take crowd photos/videos at events to promote the charity on social media and newsletters. These fall under legitimate interests and aim to show the public the work our charity does. Note: We ask for consent for close-up and identifiable photos.

4. Sharing Your Data

We do not sell your personal data to anyone. We only share your data with trusted partners who help us run the charity. These include:

• His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs(HMRC): We share donor names, addresses, and donation amounts with HMRC to legally claim Gift Aid tax refunds.

• Email Platform Providers: Companies like Squarespace or Mailchimp that send out our newsletter.

• Booking Systems: We use digital platform operators to manage event tickets.

• The Independent Examiner and Auditor: Only if required by law to check our financial records.

• The Law: If we are forced to by the police, the local safeguarding board, or the Charity Commission.

5. Storing Your Data and Keeping it Safe

We store your data securely on password-protected computers and secure cloud drives. We only keep your information for as long as we need it to run the charity or to comply with legal requirements. For example:

• Membership Data: Kept for as long as you are a member, plus 6 years after you leave (as required by charity law for meeting minutes).

• Gift Aid and Financial Records: We must retain this data for at least 6 years after the end of the financial year in which the donation was made to comply with UK tax law.

• Newsletter Data: Kept until you click “unsubscribe”.

• Activity Data: Kept for up to 3 years after the event finishes.

• Photos and Videos: Kept for up to 5 years for promotional use, unless you ask us to delete them.

6. Your Legal Rights

You have important rights over your personal data under the UK GDPR (Data Protection Act 2018). You can ask us to:

• See the data we hold about you (a Subject Access Request).

• Fix any mistakes in your information.

• Delete your data(the right to be forgotten).

• Stop sending you newsletters (just click the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any email).

• Remove a photo of you or your child from our website or social media.

It is completely free to do these. We will answer any request within one calendar month.

7. Contact Details

If you have any questions about this policy, please get in touch:

• Name of Contact: Reza Zolfagharifard, the Secretary of the Board of Trustees.

• Email Address:enquiries@bromleyhumanists.org.uk

• Postal Address: Bromley Town Centre, BR1

• Phone Number: 07818 143 035

8. How to Complain

If you are unhappy with how we have used your data, please get in touch with us first using the details in Section 7. If you are still not happy, you have the right to complain to the UK data protection regulator:

• Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

• ICO Official Website

• Helpline: 0303 123 1113