YMCA St Helens

Privacy Policy

Introduction

YMCA St Helens is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you visit our website, make a donation, subscribe to our newsletter, apply for a job or volunteer role, make a booking, or otherwise interact with us.

We process personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable data protection legislation.

Who we are

YMCA St Helens
2 North Road, St Helens, WA10 2TJ
Telephone: 01744 455030
Email: Compliance@YMCAStHelens.org.uk
Website: www.ymcasthelens.org.uk

For the purposes of data protection law, YMCA St Helens is the data controller of the personal information collected through this website.

Personal information we collect

Information You Provide to Us
We may collect the following information when you contact us, complete forms on our website, subscribe to our newsletter, make a donation, apply for a role, or book onto an activity or event:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Telephone number
  • Postal address
  • Information submitted through contact forms
  • Information provided as part of a job or volunteer application
  • Information provided through online booking forms
  • Donation and Gift Aid information
  • Communication preferences

Recruitment Information

If you apply for employment with YMCA St Helens, we may collect:

  • Contact details
  • Employment history
  • Qualifications
  • References
  • Information relevant to the recruitment process

Volunteer Application Information

If you apply to volunteer with YMCA St Helens, we may collect:

  • Name and contact details
  • Date of birth where relevant
  • Employment and volunteering history
  • Qualifications and training information
  • References
  • DBS and safeguarding information where required
  • Any other information necessary to assess suitability for a volunteer role

Newsletter Subscription Information

If you subscribe to our newsletter, we may collect:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Communication preferences

Online Booking Information

If you use our online booking systems, we may collect:

  • Name
  • Contact details
  • Booking information
  • Emergency contact details where relevant
  • Accessibility or support requirements where voluntarily provided

Online Donation Information

If you make a donation through our website, we may collect:

  • Name
  • Contact details
  • Donation amount
  • Gift Aid declarations
  • Transaction information
  • Payment card information is processed securely by our third-party payment provider and is not stored by YMCA St Helens.

Information Collected Automatically

  • When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information, including:
  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Device information
  • Pages visited
  • Date and time of visits
  • Website usage data collected through cookiesSuggested text: If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.

How we use your information

We use personal information to:

  • Respond to enquiries and requests
  • Provide information about our services and activities
  • Process job applications
  • Process volunteer applications
  • Manage volunteer placements
  • Process event and activity bookings
  • Process donations and Gift Aid claims
  • Send newsletters and updates where you have subscribed
  • Manage and improve our website
  • Maintain website security
  • Monitor website performance
  • Meet safeguarding responsibilities
  • Comply with legal and regulatory obligations

We will only process personal data where we have a lawful basis for doing so under UK GDPR.

Lawful bases for processing

We rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Legal Obligation – where we are required by law to process personal information.

Consent – where you have given clear permission for us to process your information.

Legitimate Interests – where processing is necessary for our legitimate organisational interests and does not override your rights and freedoms.

Contract – where processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract.

Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies.

Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help websites function effectively and provide information about how visitors use the site.

We use cookies to:

  • Ensure the website operates correctly
  • Improve user experience
  • Understand website usage and performance
  • Support website security

Where required by law, we will seek your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings or our cookie consent tool where available.

Photographs and images

YMCA St Helens may publish photographs on its website, social media channels, promotional materials, newsletters, and other communications.

Where individuals can be identified in photographs and consent is required, YMCA St Helens will obtain appropriate consent before publication.

If you believe an image of you has been published incorrectly or you wish to withdraw consent, please contact us using the details provided in this policy.

Recruitment and volunteer applicants

Job Applicants

If you apply for employment with YMCA St Helens, we will use the information you provide to assess your suitability for the role.

Unless required for legal reasons, unsuccessful applicant information will be retained for 12 months following completion of the recruitment process and then securely deleted.

Volunteer Applicants

If you apply to volunteer with YMCA St Helens, we will use your information to:

  • Assess suitability for volunteering opportunities
  • Obtain references where required
  • Conduct DBS and safeguarding checks where necessary
  • Manage volunteer placements and training

Unsuccessful volunteer application information will normally be retained for 12 months before being securely deleted, unless a longer retention period is required by law or safeguarding obligations.

Newsletter communications

Where you have subscribed to receive our newsletter or updates, we will use your contact details to provide information about:

  • YMCA St Helens activities and services
  • Fundraising campaigns
  • Community programmes
  • Events and activities
  • Volunteering opportunities
  • Organisational news and updates

You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link included in our emails or by contacting us directly.

Online donations

When you make a donation through our website:

  • Payment transactions are processed securely by our third-party payment providers.
  • YMCA St Helens does not store full payment card details.
  • Donation information may be retained for accounting, auditing and Gift Aid purposes.
  • We may contact donors regarding administrative matters relating to their donation.

Where you have given your consent, we may also provide information about the impact of your support and future fundraising activities.

Online bookings

If you book an event, activity, programme or service through our website, we will use your information to:

  • Manage your booking
  • Communicate important event information
  • Administer attendance and participation
  • Meet health, safety and safeguarding requirements where applicable

Information collected through booking forms will be retained only for as long as necessary to administer the booking and meet legal or operational requirements.

Website comments

Our website does not provide facilities for visitors to post comments on articles, blog posts or other website content.

Sharing personal information

We do not sell personal information.

We may share personal information where necessary with trusted third parties, including:

  • Website hosting providers
  • IT service providers
  • Professional advisers
  • Online donation platform providers
  • Payment processing providers
  • Email marketing and newsletter service providers
  • Online booking platform providers
  • Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) providers where required
  • Regulatory, safeguarding or law enforcement bodies where required by law

All third parties are required to protect personal data and process it only in accordance with our instructions and applicable legislation.

Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against:

  • Unauthorised access
  • Loss
  • Misuse
  • Alteration
  • Disclosure

While we work hard to protect personal information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

How long we keep information

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and to meet legal, regulatory, accounting and safeguarding obligations.

Examples of retention periods include:

  • Job applicant records: 12 months
  • Volunteer applicant records: 12 months
  • Newsletter subscription records: until you unsubscribe or request deletion
  • Donation records: up to 7 years for financial, tax and Gift Aid purposes
  • Event and booking records: for as long as required for operational, safeguarding and legal purposes
  • Photograph consent records: for as long as the image remains in use and for an appropriate period afterwards
  • Enquiries and correspondence: as required for operational purposes

Retention periods may be extended where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims or to comply with legal obligations.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you may have the right to:

  • Access your personal information
  • Request correction of inaccurate information
  • Request deletion of your information
  • Request restriction of processing
  • Object to processing
  • Request transfer of your data where applicable
  • Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how YMCA St Helens handles your personal information, please contact us first so that we can try to resolve the matter.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Website: https://www.ico.org.uk

Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, please contact:

YMCA St Helens
www.ymcasthelens.org.uk
Email: Compliance@YMCAStHelens.org.uk
Telephone: 01744 455030

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page together with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.