Privacy Policy

Last Updated: January 2025

Mukhtaran Rafiq Foundation ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or interact with us.

We are registered as a charity in England and Wales (Charity Number: 1211648) and our registered address is 56 Newton Close, Slough, SL3 8DD, United Kingdom.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information

We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

• Make a donation
• Sign up for our newsletter
• Register for events
• Contact us with enquiries
• Apply to volunteer
• Complete forms on our website

This information may include:

• Name and title
• Email address
• Postal address
• Telephone number
• Payment information (processed securely through our payment providers)
• Gift Aid declaration details

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information about your device, including:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on our website
• Referring website

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Processing donations: To process your donations, issue receipts, and claim Gift Aid where applicable
• Communication: To send you updates about our work, newsletters, and fundraising appeals (with your consent)
• Service improvement: To improve our website and services based on your feedback and usage patterns
• Legal compliance: To comply with legal and regulatory requirements
• Event management: To register you for events and activities
• Volunteer management: To process volunteer applications and coordinate activities

3. Legal Basis for Processing

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), we rely on the following legal bases for processing your personal data:

• Consent: Where you have given us explicit consent to process your data (e.g., for marketing communications)
• Contract: Where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you
• Legal obligation: Where we are required to process your data by law (e.g., Gift Aid claims)
• Legitimate interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided these are not overridden by your rights

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information with:

• Service providers: Companies that help us operate our website, process payments, or deliver services (under strict data protection agreements)
• HMRC: For Gift Aid claims
• Regulators: Such as the Charity Commission, when required by law
• Legal authorities: If required by law or to protect our rights

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption on our website
• Secure storage of physical records
• Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
• Regular security assessments and updates

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including:

• Donation records: 7 years (for Gift Aid and accounting purposes)
• Newsletter subscriptions: Until you unsubscribe
• Contact enquiries: 2 years after last communication
• Volunteer records: 7 years after end of volunteering relationship

7. Your Rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access: Request a copy of the data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your data (subject to legal requirements)
• Right to restrict processing: Request limitation of how we use your data
• Right to data portability: Request transfer of your data to another organisation
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for marketing
• Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent for processing

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

8. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us:

• Remember your preferences
• Understand how you use our website
• Improve our website functionality

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling cookies may affect website functionality.

Types of Cookies We Use:

• Essential cookies: Required for the website to function properly
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website
• Preference cookies: Remember your settings and preferences

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any website you visit.

10. Children's Privacy

Our website is not intended for children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected data from a child, please contact us immediately.

11. International Transfers

As we operate internationally (with activities in Pakistan), some of your data may be transferred to countries outside the UK. When this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in compliance with UK data protection law.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will post any changes on this page and update the "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or have any concerns about how we handle your data, please contact us:

14. Complaints

If you are not satisfied with our response to any complaint, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator:

• Website: www.ico.org.uk
• Helpline: 0303 123 1113