Privacy Policy

Volunteering Matters is registered with the Information Commissioners Office as a data controller.

We need to collect and use personal data about the people we deal with in order to carry out our business and provide services. Data is held about volunteers, partners, service users and suppliers. This document outlines how and why we do this.

Using your personal information – We collect basic personal data about you including name, address, email, phone number in order to process and manage your relationship with us as a volunteer or service user. When it’s relevant we also ask for some health information and any criminal record history if it will have an impact on the service we are providing to you.

Why we need your data – We need to know your basic personal data in order to provide you with the volunteering service you are requesting from us. We will not collect any personal data from you we do not need in order to provide and oversee this service to you.

What we do with your data – All the personal data we process is processed by our staff and volunteers in the UK to manage your volunteering placement, and for our legitimate business interests eg enhancing the services we provide. When we process your personal information for our legitimate interests, we make sure to consider and balance any potential impact on you (both positive and negative), and your rights under data protection laws. Our legitimate business interests do not automatically override your interests – we will not use your Personal Data for activities where our interests are overridden by the impact on you (unless we have your consent or are otherwise required or permitted to by law).

However for the purposes of IT hosting and maintenance this information is located on servers within the European Union. We will pass your details on a need to know basis to the organisation(s) that you are volunteering with. In all cases, we will inform you of who we will share your data with and why.

We have a Data Protection system in place to oversee the effective and secure processing of your personal data. We will ensure that all organisations that we share information with are also compliant with Data Protection regulations.

What we would also like to do with your data – As well as the above, we would also like to use your name and contact details to inform you of other volunteering opportunities, events, or our other services and achievements. This information is not shared with third parties (except as specified above). You can opt into receiving this information on any of the forms we send you and you can unsubscribe at any time via phone or email or through the contact form on our website.

If you do not wish to receive this additional information it will have no effect on the original service we provide to you. We will still hold and use the data you have provided to us in order to provide the service to you.

Summary of how we use your data:

legal basis:Processes include:Your rights:
Legitimate interestAll aspects of facilitating your volunteering placement, including sharing your data with the community organisation where you volunteerYou can challenge this but it may have an effect on our ability to carry out the service you’ve asked us to do
ConsentSending you details of other opportunities that may interest you but that are not related to your volunteering placement eg events, training, other volunteering opportunitiesIf you have given consent you can withdraw it at any time and we will still carry out the service you’ve asked us to do

How long we keep your data – We are required to keep your personal data (name, address, contact details, and volunteering history) for a minimum of 7 years after you stop volunteering, after which time it will be destroyed. If you give us consent to use your details for marketing purposes, they will be kept until you notify us that you no longer wish to receive this information.

What are your rights? – If at any point you believe the information we process on you is incorrect you can request to see this information and have it corrected or deleted. If you wish to raise a complaint on how we have handled your personal data, you can contact us to have the matter investigated. Please direct any complaints or concerns to enterprise@volunteeringmatters.org.uk

If you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are not processing your personal data in accordance with the law you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office

Jump to specific data privacy notices for:

DATA PRIVACY NOTICE – COMMUNITY PARTNERS / CLIENTS / SUPPLIERS

Volunteering Matters is registered with the Information Commissioners Office as a data controller. We need to collect and use personal data about the people we deal with in order to carry out our business and provide services. Data is held about volunteers, partners, service users and suppliers. This document outlines how and why we do this.

Using your personal information – We collect basic personal data about you including name, address, email, phone number in order to manage your relationship with us.

Why we need your data – We need to know your basic personal data in order to provide you with the service you are requesting from us. We will not collect any personal data from you we do not need in order to provide and oversee this service to you. Our services include our volunteer delivery programmes, consultancy, and training.

What we do with your data – All the personal data we process is processed by our staff and volunteers in the UK to manage the service we are providing, and for our legitimate business interests eg enhancing the services we provide, and telling you about other volunteering opportunities, events, or our other services and achievements. When we process your personal information for our legitimate interests, we make sure to consider and balance any potential impact on you (both positive and negative), and your rights under data protection laws. Our legitimate business interests do not automatically override your interests – we will not use your Personal Data for activities where our interests are overridden by the impact on you (unless we have your consent or are otherwise required or permitted to by law). Examples of processing data:

  Community organisations (including schools, charities) Partners (including clients, suppliers)
Essential for delivering our services Keeping your details on a database and using it to contact you if we have volunteers who may benefit you Letting you know about new volunteering opportunities that may benefit your employees and communities
Passing your contact details to volunteers you agree to host  
Optional Sending you invitations to events Sending you invitations to events
Offering you the chance to sign up to our newsletter Offering you the chance to sign up to our newsletter

For the purposes of IT hosting and maintenance your information is located on servers within the European Union. In all cases, we will inform you of who we will share your data with and why.

We have a Data Protection system in place to oversee the effective and secure processing of your personal data. We will ensure that all organisations that we share information with are also compliant with Data Protection regulations.

You can opt out at any time via phone or email or through the contact form on our website. If you opt out of optional communications it will have no effect on the original service we provide to you. We will still hold and use the data you have provided to us in order to provide the service to you. If you wish to opt out of all communications it will have an impact on what services we can provide to you, and we will still need to keep basic details on our system to let colleagues know not to contact you.

How long we keep your data – We will keep your data as long as we are providing a service to you. If you do not opt out of us using your details for marketing purposes, they will be kept until you notify us that you no longer wish to receive this information.

What are your rights? – If at any point you believe the information we process on you is incorrect you can request to see this information and have it corrected or deleted. If you wish to raise a complaint on how we have handled your personal data, or object to this processing, you can contact us to have the matter investigated. Please direct any complaints or concerns to enterprise@volunteeringmatters.org.uk

If you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are not processing your personal data in accordance with the law you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

PRIVACY NOTICE FOR MENTEES (UNDER 18)

Volunteering Matters is registered with the Information Commissioners Office as a data controller. We need to collect and use personal data about the people we deal with in order to carry out our business and provide services. Data is held about our volunteers, partners, service users and suppliers. This document outlines how and why we do this.

Using your personal information – We collect basic personal data about you including name, address, email, phone number in order to manage your relationship with us. We also store the emails that are sent between you and your mentor.

Why we need your data – We need to know your basic personal data in order to match you with a mentor, communicate with you, and keep your emails secure. We store the messages you send and receive to monitor them to ensure your safety. We will not collect any personal data from you we do not need in order to provide this service to you.

What we do with your data – All the personal data we process is processed by our staff and volunteers in the UK to manage the service we are providing.

We will not contact you about anything other than the eMentoring programme.

Your mentor will never see your contact details because of the encryption settings on the website.

Your emails may be read by the eMentoring co-ordinator and the school co-ordinator to check that your mentoring relationship is going well.

For the purposes of IT hosting and maintenance your information is located on servers within the European Union. Occasionally our eMentoring website needs maintenance or troubleshooting and the IT professionals who do this may briefly see some of your personal data. We are satisfied that they are compliant with Data Protection regulations and will not use your data for any purpose. We will never share your data with anyone else.

We have a Data Protection system in place to oversee the effective and secure processing of your personal data.

How long we keep your data – We will keep your data for seven years after you leave the mentoring programme. Your data will be archived once you leave, and is only stored in case we are legally obliged to share it. After that time it will be destroyed. This is in line with safeguarding best practice.

What are your rights? – You can leave the eMentoring programme at any time. You can do this by telling the teacher who co-ordinates the eMentoring programme, or by emailing cathy.jones@volunteeringmatters.org.uk. If you wish to leave you will no longer be able to contact your mentor. We will still keep your details on the system for seven years after you leave.

If at any point you believe the information we keep about you is incorrect you can request to see this information and have it corrected or deleted. If you wish to make a complaint on how we have handled your personal data, you can contact us to have the matter investigated. Please contact enterprise@volunteeringmatters.org.uk if you’d like to complain.

If you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are not processing your personal data in accordance with the law you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

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