Supporter Privacy Notice
The aim of this Privacy Notice
Our supporters are extremely important to us at Messianic Testimony (MT) and to our work amongst Jewish people. This Privacy notice explains how MT collects, stores, manages and protects the data we hold from our supporters. It outlines the types of data that we hold and how we use it to support you. It also outlines what steps you can take if you would like us to change how we use your data or if you would like us to stop using it altogether.
Our responsibilities and the legal basis for processing your data
Messianic Testimony is committed to protecting your personal data. We aim to be clear how we use your personal information, and not do anything you would not reasonably expect. We are the data controller for all the personal data we hold and process.
All information you provide to us will be used in accordance with MT’s Data Protection Policy (A copy of this will shortly be available from MT’s administrator). Your personal data will be stored securely in MT’s main database held on the administrator’s laptop, and for those of you who make donations, also securely in MT’s Accounting System held on both the administrator’s and the treasurer’s laptops. All of this information is held in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.
MT processes the information outlined in this Privacy Notice for the following purposes:
- To communicate with current and potential supporters about the work of MT
- To account for any donations made and process any Gift Aid claims
- To account for the sale of any books and pamphlets
- To further the work of the mission (including fundraising)
We generally communicate with you by post, unless you have specifically asked us to communicate with you by e-mail or telephone.
MT’s legal basis for processing your data is ‘legitimate interest’. We recognise that it is not the only lawful ground for processing data, and we may occasionally process your data on an alternative legal basis, for example to fulfil contractual obligations we may have when you purchase from us.
Where do we collect the information from?
The vast majority of the information we hold is obtained directly from you, for example when you:
- Request a magazine
- Make a donation to MT
- Purchase goods from MT
- Contact us with an enquiry
We may also use other sources such as the Royal Mail Postcode finder to check the accuracy of the address we hold.
What information do we collect about you?
The personal information we will collect and process will include your name and contact details, but we will only include your e-mail address and mobile phone number if you have specifically asked us to use them. If you make a donation to MT, we will also record your donation and whether or not it is Gift Aided. We will also keep a record of any changes you tell us about, such as change of address or name.
MT does not store any credit/debit card details.
How we use your personal information
We will only process your data for the specific purposes covered above, and then only to the extent necessary for those specific purposes.
Your personal information will be used to keep in touch with you as a valued supporter of MT. We may communicate with you about the following:
- MT’s publications
- Invitations to events
- Fundraising including sale of books
- Administrative purposes including processing of donations or Gift Aid
However, please note that we may have to contact you for a reason outside this list, for example to comply with the law or fulfil a contractual obligation.
Your data will not be disclosed to external organisations other than those acting as agents for MT (eg printers for magazine mail-out). We always make sure there are appropriate controls in place so that your data will remain secure. We will never sell, trade or give away your data.
We may use third-party partners to support the activities described above. If you interact with MT through a third party (eg you make a gift via Stewardship, Paypal or CAF) then we may obtain information about you through that third party. The receipt of data in this matter is subject to the third party’s own privacy policy. A list of parties whom we partner in this way is available on request. Data obtained in this way are treated no differently from any other once held by MT, and are bound by the terms of this Privacy Notice as soon as they are received.
We may use the personal information we collect to help plan where we should send certain communications (for example to advertise certain meetings in the area in which they are taking place).
Protecting your data and sharing with third parties
We are committed to holding your data securely and treating them with sensitivity. All data are held securely and in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Your data are held on our main database and possibly also our accounting system, both held on the administrator’s laptop. Access is restricted to staff and trustees who need to see the data to carry out their duties for MT. User access rights to the database and accounting system are restricted according to individual job roles in order to ensure that users only see information relevant to them. This access is reviewed on a regular basis.
Unless we have a legal obligation to do so, we will not disclose your data to individuals, organisations or other entities outside MT (for example if we use a company to print and send out documents). All external entities with whom data are being shared and to whom we are not legally bound must sign a contract and/or confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement before any data transfer takes place. We do not sell or trade your data with any other
organisations.
We may need to disclose your information to a third party if required by law (for example to government bodies and law enforcement agencies) or if we have your permission to do so.
How long we keep your information
MT considers its relationship with its supporters to be lifelong, and so we will hold your details on our database until you tell us you no longer wish to hear from us. Generally, we will process your personal data only as long as it was necessary for the purpose(s) for which it was collected and in accordance with MT’s record retention schedule.
Sometimes we are obliged by law to keep your data for a certain length of time, eg HMRC requires that we keep you name, address and Gift Aid declaration for 6 years from the date of the last donation to which it applies. Data will be kept securely and destroyed appropriately when no longer required. MT may also decide to archive some data.
Your rights and how to contact us
We will always try to ensure that the data we hold for you are up to date, reasonable and not excessive. You will always have the right to:
- Be informed via the Privacy Policy as to how we use your data
- Request a copy of the data we hold about you
- Update, amend or rectify the data we hold about you
- Request us to communicate with you in a different way from what we are doing now
- Ask us to remove your data from our records
- Object to or restrict the processing of information as listed in this document.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice, your data rights, or would like to receive a copy of the information we hold about you, please contact:
Mrs. Raluca Rusu
Data Processor
Messianic Testimony
PO Box 7475
Hook
RG27 8SP
07547 212 299
If you feel that we have let you down in relation to your information rights then please contact June M Marshall, our Data Protection Leader, via the office so that we can discuss this with you and rectify the situation.
You can also make complaints directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO is the independent authority upholding information rights for the UK. Their website is ico.org.uk and their telephone helpline number is 0303 123 1113.
From time to time, we may use your information for new purposes not currently described in this Privacy Notice. If our information practices change at some time in the future, we will always post the policy changes on this Notice.
Last updated 13.02.2025