This Privacy Policy was last reviewed and updated on 12^th February 2025.

At Advocacy Focus, we value your privacy and are dedicated to protecting your personal information. This page provides an overview of how we collect, use, and store your data, as well as your rights and how to reach out if you have any questions. Please note that we may update this policy occasionally, so we encourage you to check back for any updates.

By using our website, services, or sharing your personal information with us, you consent to the collection and use of your data as outlined in this policy. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us.

About Advocacy Focus

This site is operated by or on behalf of Advocacy Focus. We are an independent charity which has been offering free advocacy support since 1998.

At Advocacy Focus, we’re committed to protecting your privacy and personal data. We handle your information with care, following all the relevant data protection laws, like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Your rights matter to us, and we make sure your data is used safely and responsibly.

If you need more details about our privacy practices, you can contact us:

• by post, using the postal address given above

• using our website Contact Us form
• by telephone, on 0300 323 0965 from 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday
• by email, using the email address given above

How we collect personal information

We may collect your personal information when:

• You provide it directly to us (e.g., signing up for a newsletter, applying for a job, or donating).
• You are referred to us by another service that has a lawful reason to share your details.
• You visit our website, fundraise for us, or interact with us on social media.
• We use trusted sources like the Royal Mail postcode finder to confirm your address or public records such as Companies House or the Charity Commission.

 

What data do we collect?

We may collect, store, and use the following personal information:

• Details about your visits to our website (e.g., IP address, browser type).
• Contact details (e.g., name, email, phone number) when you subscribe to emails or newsletters.
• Information you provide when using our services or applying for a job.
• Donation and transaction details.
• Any other information you send to us (e.g., job applications, email inquiries).

Some personal data is more sensitive, such as information about your health, ethnicity, religious beliefs, or political views. We will only collect and use this type of data where necessary and with your consent.

How do we use this data?

We may use your personal information to:

• manage our website and services
• personalise our website for you
• enable your use of the services available on our website

• Send you updates, newsletters, or information you have requested.

• provide third parties with statistical data about our users (but those third parties will not be able to identify any individual user from that information)
• deal with enquiries and complaints made by you relating to our website
• keep our website secure and prevent fraud

• Comply with legal obligations

Sharing Your Information

We may share your information with:

• Our team, trustees, or professional advisers (when necessary).
• Trusted partners who help us deliver our services. We make sure that they store the data securely, delete it when they no longer need it and never use it for any other purposes.
• Legal authorities if required by law (e.g., police or government bodies).

We will never sell your data or share it with other organisations for marketing purposes. Nor do we sell any information about your web browsing activity.

Third party websites

Our website may contain links to other websites. We are not responsible for their privacy policies, so please check their policies before sharing any personal information.

How long do we keep your data?

We only keep your data for as long as necessary and in accordance with statutory requirements. You can ask us to remove your personal information at any time.

Security of personal information

We take security seriously and use measures to protect your data from loss, misuse, or unauthorised access. However, while we do our best to keep your information safe online, we can’t guarantee complete internet security.

Your rights

Under the GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to:

• Request a copy of the information we hold about you.
• Update or amend the information we hold about you if it is wrong.
• Change your communication preferences at any time.
• Ask us to remove your personal information from our records.
• Object to the processing of your information for marketing purposes.
• Raise a concern or complaint about the way in which your information is being used.

To request or update your information, email us at admin@advocacyfocus.org.uk.

Cookies

Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help websites function properly.

We use cookies to:

• Recognise returning visitors.
• Improve site performance and security.
• Understand how people use our website.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but this may affect how our website works for you.

 

Social Media

Our social media accounts follow data protection laws. When interacting with us on social media, please be mindful of how your personal data is shared.

Newsletter Subscriptions

When you sign up for our newsletter, you agree to receive updates about our work, campaigns, events, and job opportunities. Our newsletters are usually sent every two months.

We use MailChimp as our email marketing platform which allows us to make our newsletters look nice and easily readable, and equally allows you to unsubscribe easily. To view MailChimp’s Privacy Policy, click here.

User data is also stored in the back end of the Advocacy Focus website once you have signed up. Our website is run by +24 Agency who have taken all the necessary steps to ensure this data is protected and secure in line with GDPR. Their Privacy Policy can be found here.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in one of our marketing communication emails or by emailing admin@advocacyfocus.org.uk

Fundraising

Advocacy Focus provides a range of services to support people across the North-West to speak up and achieve the outcomes they want.

Fundraising enables us to help more people, provide better services to those we already work with and to provide the services and support that our local communities need. We rely on the support of individuals, organisations and businesses who fundraise and donate to Advocacy Focus to help us continue our work.

To help us plan and deliver fundraising activities, we may review information made available publicly by the Charity Commission, Companies House, social media, and information contained in newspapers and articles.

For reporting and monitoring purposes, we securely store the following personal data on our fundraising tracker:

• Donor Name
• Amount Raised

 

Donating Money

We use JustGiving for online donations. Your data will be handled according to JustGiving’s Privacy Policy.

For in-person card payments, we use TakePayments. Our card terminals are fully Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant and do not store any identifiable data from users.

It is important to note that we do not see or store your card or financial information, as these are processed via the third-party payment provider.

You can view JustGiving’s privacy policy here: Comprehensive Privacy Policy v30 | JustGiving

You can view TakePayments privacy policy here: Our Privacy Policy | takepayments

 

Applying for a Job with Advocacy Focus

If you apply for a job with us, we will collect and process your data as outlined in a separate Privacy Notice, which we provide when you apply.

Queries or complaints about how we process your personal data

If you have any concerns about how we handle your data, you can contact our Operations Manager in writing.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection regulator.

For any questions or complaints, contact us at admin@advocacyfocus.org.uk or call 0300 323 0965.