Privacy policy

Who we are

African Women Empowerment Forum Charity is a registered charity in England and Wales, charity number 1191388. For the personal information covered by this policy, AWEF is normally the data controller.

Our address is Unit 2, Victoria Court, Kent Street, Nottingham NG1 3LZ. You can contact us at info@awef.org.uk or on 07425 580561.

Information we collect

What we collect depends on how you interact with us. It may include:

• your name, email address, telephone number, postal address and communication preferences
• information you give when asking for support, applying for membership, volunteering, attending an event, working with us or making an enquiry
• donation, payment and transaction records, although payment providers process full card or account details on their own secure systems
• records of correspondence, consent and participation in AWEF services
• technical information such as your IP address, browser, device and how you use this website
• special category or other sensitive information, only where it is relevant to the support requested and we have an appropriate legal basis and safeguards

How and why we use your information

We may use personal information to:

• respond to enquiries and provide the support, programmes, events or membership services you ask for
• administer donations, volunteering, partnerships and our relationship with supporters
• send news or fundraising communications where you have consented, or where another lawful basis permits it
• protect participants, staff, volunteers, visitors and AWEF systems, including safeguarding and fraud prevention
• keep financial, governance and operational records and meet our legal obligations
• understand and improve the effectiveness, accessibility and security of our work and this website

Depending on the circumstances, our lawful basis may be your consent, performance of a contract or steps you ask us to take before one, compliance with a legal obligation, protection of vital interests, or our legitimate interests in running and improving our charitable work. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the impact on your rights. Additional conditions apply when we process special category information.

Sharing and international transfers

We do not sell personal information. We share only what is necessary, and only with trusted suppliers that help us operate, such as website hosting, email, event, professional advisory and payment services; with delivery partners, where this is explained to you; or with regulators, law enforcement, safeguarding bodies and other organisations where disclosure is required or permitted by law.

Some suppliers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where that happens we use an appropriate lawful transfer mechanism and proportionate safeguards, or rely on another exception permitted by data protection law.

Retention and security

We keep information only for as long as it is needed for the purpose it was collected for, including any legal, accounting, safeguarding or reporting requirement. Retention periods vary by record type. We then securely delete or anonymise it, or archive it where the law requires continued retention.

We use proportionate organisational and technical safeguards. No internet service can guarantee absolute security, so please contact us promptly if you believe information has been lost, misused or disclosed unexpectedly.

Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• ask for a copy of your personal information
• correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• ask us to erase information, or to restrict how it is used
• object to processing, including an absolute right to object to direct marketing
• receive certain information in a portable format
• withdraw your consent at any time, where processing relies on consent
• ask for human review of a significant decision made solely by automated means

These rights are not absolute and an exemption may apply. We normally respond within one calendar month of receiving a valid request, although the law allows more time in some circumstances. We may ask for information needed to confirm your identity, but we will never ask for more than is reasonable.

Website, cookies and external services

This website may use essential cookies to provide security, remember settings and support functions such as member access. Optional analytics or marketing technologies are used only where an appropriate lawful basis applies. Your browser can block or delete cookies, but some functions may then work differently. Our cookie notice explains this in full.

Donation, Give as You Live, Charity Wills, social media and other external websites have their own privacy policies and act as separate controllers for the information you give them. Please read their notices before submitting anything.

Contact, complaints and changes

For questions or requests, email info@awef.org.uk or write to us at Unit 2, Victoria Court, Kent Street, Nottingham NG1 3LZ. If you are unhappy with our response, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK’s independent regulator for data protection.

We may update this policy when our services, suppliers or legal obligations change. The date shown beside this page identifies the latest version.