Privacy Policy
Privacy policy
Last updated 19 November 2024.
West Country Voices is committed to protecting your privacy. We will only use the information that we collect about you lawfully (in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, the EU Privacy and Communications Directive) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Who we are
This privacy policy relates to information that is obtained by West Country Voices and for which West Country Voices is the Data Controller and Data Holder.
West Country Voices is a private company limited by guarantee.
Our purpose
West Country Voices is the publisher of community-led citizen journalism. Our aim is to publish well-written, fact-based articles and opinion pieces on subjects that are of interest to people in our local area and beyond. In doing so, we seek to demonstrate democracy in action by giving a voice to local people and holding our elected representatives to account. This is made possible by our independence – both from government control and from the influence of corporate interests. Our stance is progressive and internationalist. Our objective is to be part of, and to influence, the debate at a regional and national level.
How we hold and process personal data
West Country Voices uses MailChimp to store and process your contact details and to send out communications to you, under their privacy policy terms, which are fully compliant with all European and UK data protection law. Any data stored outside of MailChimp (for instance as a backup) is in encrypted and password-secured files.
Access to all data is strictly controlled, with only a limited number of West Country Voices personnel having access. All access is through two factor secure login.
Why we hold and process personal data
We hold and process supporters’ personal data for a number of reasons:
- To send our newsletter subscribers updates on our latest news stories and activities where we have their consent or are otherwise allowed to do so.
- To maintain relationships with contributors.
- To support volunteers at their events.
- To ensure we do not send unwanted information to supporters or members of the public who have informed us they do not wish to be contacted.
When and why we will send you personalised marketing communications
West Country Voices will only contact you for marketing purposes, for example, to notify you of our latest news stories or activities, where we have your consent, or we are otherwise allowed to do so.
We will make it easy for you to tell us if you would like to receive marketing communications from us and hear more about our work. We will not send you marketing material if you tell us that you do not wish to receive it.
Other circumstances in which you may receive marketing information from West Country Voices
How and when we collect information about you
West Country Voices may collect your personal data in the following circumstances:
When you give it to us directly
You may give us your personal data directly when you sign up on our website or at of one of our street stalls or meetings, make a donation, sign up for one of our events, purchase products from the West Country Voices online shop, when you fill in a questionnaire or survey issued by West Country Voices, or when you communicate with us.
When you give it to us indirectly
You may give us your information indirectly when you sign up at events such as community meetings or conferences, or via a sponsored petition campaign on a third party website. These independent third parties will pass your data to West Country Voices where you have indicated that you wish to support West Country Voices and have given your consent or it is a necessary part of completing a contract with you.
Sometimes your personal data is collected by an organisation working on our behalf (for example a professional fundraising agency) but as they are acting on our behalf we are the “data controller” and responsible for the security and proper processing of that data.
When you access West Country Voices social media
We might also obtain your personal data through your use of social media such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, BlueSky or Instagram, depending on your settings or the privacy policies of these social media and messaging services. To change your settings on these services, please refer to their privacy notices, which will tell you how to do this.
https://www.facebook.com/policy.php
https://twitter.com/en/privacy
https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy
https://bsky.social/about/support/privacy-policy
https://help.instagram.com/519522125107875
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7671399
When the information is publicly available
We might also obtain personal data about individuals who may be interested in giving major gifts to charities or organisations like West Country Voices. In this scenario, West Country Voices may seek to find out more about these individuals, their interests and motivations for giving through publicly available information. This information may include newspaper or other media coverage, open postings on social media sites such as LinkedIn, and data from Companies House. West Country Voices will not retain publicly available data relating to major donors without their consent, which will be sought at the earliest practical opportunity.
When we use cookies
Cookies are a useful way for us to understand how supporters use our websites. When you visit our website we will collect data from your computer, or other device such as a smartphone or tablet, through the use of cookies. Cookies are created by your web browser when you visit our website. Every time you go back to the West Country Voices website, your browser will send the cookie file back to the website’s server. They improve your experience of using our website, for example, by remembering your preference settings so that you are presented with information likely to be most relevant to you, and by measuring your use of the website to enable us to continuously improve our website to ensure that it meets your needs. Cookies can also be used to show you relevant West Country Voices content on social media services such as Facebook – these are known as ‘retargeting’ or ‘advertising’ cookies.
If you visit our website as an anonymous visitor (e.g. you switch off cookies), West Country Voices may still collect certain information from your browser, such as the IP address (an IP address is a number that can uniquely identify a computer or other internet device).
The West Country Voices website contains hyperlinks to websites owned and operated by other organisations. These third-party websites have their own privacy policies, including policies on their use of cookies, and we urge you to review them. They will govern the use of personal information you submit which is collected by cookies whilst visiting these websites. We cannot accept any responsibility or liability for the privacy practices of such third-party websites and your use of such websites is at your own risk.
What information we might collect about you
We only collect personal data relevant to the type of interactions you have with West Country Voices.
For example, when you contact West Country Voices to make a donation, purchase an item online, or sign up to any of West Country Voices’ activities or online content, such as emails, or you write to West Country Voices or engage with West Country Voices via social media channels or when you fill in a questionnaire or survey issued by West Country Voices, we may receive and retain personal information about you.
The information we collect is relevant to the type of transaction you are entering into with details such as your name, email address, postal address, telephone or mobile number. All data is held on a secure database and in accordance with data protection regulations.
Sensitive personal data
We do not generally collect sensitive personal data about our supporters, e.g. age, unless there is a clear reason for doing so – such as participation in an event where we need this to ensure that we provide appropriate facilities or support to enable you to participate in the event. Clear notices will be provided on application forms for such events so that it is clear what information we need and why we need it.
All sensitive personal data is stored on a secure database, to which only a limited number of relevant staff have access. It is deleted when no longer relevant, is never shared with third parties, and is available to you at any point should you wish to see it.
Will we share your personal information with anyone else?
We will only use your information for the purposes for which it was obtained. We will not, under any circumstances, share or sell your personal data with any third party, and you will not receive marketing from any other companies, charities, or other organisations as a result of giving your details to us; unless you give specific consent for us to do so.
Our suppliers
We may need to share your information with service providers who help us to deliver our projects, fundraising activities, and appeals, for instance through handling responses to our emergency appeals. These ‘data processors’ will only act under our instruction and are subject to pre-contract scrutiny and contractual obligations containing strict data protection clauses. We do not allow these organisations to use your data for their own purposes or disclose it to other third parties without our consent and we will take all reasonable care to ensure that they keep your data secure.
Where legally required
We will also comply with legal requests where disclosure is required or permitted by law (for example to government bodies for tax purposes or law enforcement agencies for the prevention and detection of crime, subject to such bodies providing us with a relevant request in writing).
Your data is only processed outside the EU where West Country Voices has verified that appropriate standards and safeguards are in place.
How long will we keep your data
We will keep your data for as long as West Country Voices is active. You are able to unsubscribe from our communications at any time using the unsubscribe link.
If you request that we stop sending you marketing material we will keep a record of your contact details and appropriate information to enable us to comply with your request not to be contacted by us.
Where you contribute material to us, e.g. user-generated content or in response to a particular campaign we will only keep your content for as long as is reasonably required for the purpose(s) for which it was submitted unless otherwise stated at the point of generation.
How to control what we send you or request we update your personal information
The accuracy of your information is really important to us. We want to ensure that we are able to communicate with you in ways that you are happy with, and to provide you with information that is of interest.
If you wish to change how we communicate with you, or update the information we hold, then please contact us:
Email us at data@westcountryvoices.co.uk
Write to us at: The Studio, 20 East Street, Ashburton, Newton Abbot, TQ13 7AZ
Additionally, you can opt out of email separately:
Email – You can opt out of marketing emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer area of any email from West Country Voices.
How long will it take for these changes to be effective?
We endeavour to meet the following service levels where supporters request we do not send them marketing information:
Email – 48 hours from receipt of email.
Mail – 28 days from receipt of ‘do not mail’ request. This period is longer than for other channels due to the production times for mailing campaigns, and in most cases we would expect the change to be effective much more quickly.
Under the Data Protection Act you have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you and to have any inaccuracies corrected.
How to make complaints about this policy or raise privacy concerns
If you would like more information, or have any questions about this policy, please contact our team. To make a formal complaint about West Country Voices’ approach to data protection or raise privacy concerns directly with our data protection team, please email: data@westcountryvoices.co.uk or write to us at: West Country Voices, The Studio, 20 East Street, Ashburton, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ13 7AZ
You also have the right to make a complaint direct to the UK’s data protection authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO can be contacted at: https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/.
Concerns can also be logged via the ICO website.
Changes to this privacy policy This privacy policy may be updated from time to time so you may wish to check it each time you submit personal information to West Country Voices. The date of the most recent revisions will appear on this page. If you do not agree to these changes, please do not continue to use the West Country Voices website to submit personal information. If material changes are made to the privacy policy we will notify you by placing a prominent notice on the website.