Privacy Policy

Last Updated 07/08/2026

This policy explains why and how we collect and use personal data and sets out your rights over that data. It covers personal data given to us directly by individuals and data we receive about individuals from others. We only use personal data for the purposes explained here or as made clear to you at the point of collection.

Personal data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable living person. When we collect and use personal data, our approach is to be open about why and how we're processing it. We process personal data for a number of different purposes, and the specific means of collection, legal basis, use, disclosure and retention period for each is set out in the relevant section below.

Personal data reaches us either directly from the individual concerned or from a third party acting on their behalf. Where we receive someone's personal data from a third party, we ask that third party to make sure the individual has been told how their data will be used, this policy may be referenced for that purpose. We're committed to being fully transparent with you about why and how we use your personal data.

We take the security of everything we hold seriously. We maintain a set of policies and procedures to regularly review whether the safeguards we have in place remain appropriate. Everything you share with us is stored on secure servers. That said, no method of transmitting information over the internet is completely secure. While we do everything reasonably possible to protect your data, we can't guarantee the security of anything sent to our site and any transmission is done at your own risk. Once we've received your information, we apply strict procedures and security measures to guard against unauthorised access.

Data Controller: For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the data controller is Human Relief Mission, 160 Harehills Lane, Leeds, LS8 5JP, United Kingdom (Charity No. 1160380).

This notice is organised into the following sections:

1. Who we are
2. Your rights over your personal data
3. Privacy information for our supporters
4. How long we keep personal data
5. CCTV
6. Our website
7. Changes to this policy
8. How to make a complaint

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or the information we hold about you, please contact us at info@humanreliefmission.com or call 0300 0300 160.

1. Who we are

Human Relief Mission is a UK-registered charity working internationally to relieve poverty, respond to natural disaster, and support communities affected by social injustice — both through immediate emergency relief and by building lasting, self-sustaining development programmes. We want to help build a fairer, more caring world, free from poverty, and we do this by raising funds for both urgent and long-term solutions that empower the communities we work with.

2. Your rights over your personal data

Right to be informed: you have the right to know how we collect and use your personal data.

Right to withdraw consent — where we rely on your consent to use your data, you can withdraw that consent at any time. Any marketing communication you get from us will explain clearly how to do this — for example, every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link. If you'd like us to stop using your data for any marketing purpose, including by post, contact us on 0300 0300 160 or info@humanreliefmission.com.

Right of access — you can ask what personal data we hold about you and request a copy of it.

Right to object and/or restrict processing — you can ask why your data is being used, and request that we limit or stop that use.

Right to data portability — you can ask us to transfer a copy of your data directly to another organisation.

Right of erasure — you can ask us to delete personal data we hold about you.

Right of rectification — if you believe data we hold about you is wrong, you can ask us to correct or update it.

To exercise any of these rights, or for more information, contact us on 0300 0300 160 or info@humanreliefmission.com.

3. Privacy information for our supporters

When do we collect your personal data?

• When you make a donation
• When you register for or take part in an event, challenge, or prize draw
• When you contact us by email, phone, letter, or through the website
• When you register to use a secure part of our website
• When you subscribe to our updates or newsletter
• When you visit and use our website (see our Cookie Policy for more detail)
• When you interact with us on social media
• When you take part in a survey
• When you report an issue or give us feedback about the website

The information you give us might include your name, contact details (such as address, email, and phone number), your personal preferences and choices and where relevant to a donation your financial or card details.

Each time you visit our website, we may also automatically collect:

• Technical information — the IP address used to connect to the internet, your browser type and version, plug-ins, operating system, and platform
• Usage information — the pages you visit, how you navigate between them, what you search for or view, how long you spend on a page, response times, and how you interact with the page (scrolling, clicking and similar)

Why do we collect and use your personal data?

• To process your donation, including any Gift Aid declaration
• To keep you updated on our work and how you can support us — but only by email, phone, or text if you've told us that's OK, and never by post if you've asked us to stop; you can withdraw consent at any time
• To respond to your queries and any feedback on our projects and campaigns
• To confirm your donation, or your registration for an event or challenge
• To personalise what we send you — for example, using what you've told us and how you've engaged with us to send you the kind of updates you're likely to find relevant
• To improve our services — for example, by asking for your feedback through a survey, where we're able to
• To meet our regulatory, legal, or ethical obligations, which may include verifying someone's identity where required
• To let you know about changes to our services
• To make our website work better, so content is presented as effectively as possible
• To let you take part in interactive features on our site, when you choose to
• To understand how effective our communications are, so we can keep them relevant and well-targeted

Where else might we collect your data from?

• If you choose to support us through a third party fundraising platform.
• Where we're permitted to send you marketing materials, we may check your details are current using publicly available sources, such as postal databases or preference services
• For significant donations, we may carry out a background check using publicly available information and, where applicable, a third-party screening and due diligence provider, in line with our own due diligence policy.

When do we share your data with others?

• With HMRC, where needed to reclaim Gift Aid on your donation
• With law enforcement, if we receive a valid legal request
• With event organisers, if you register for an event or challenge, for health and safety purposes
• With our payment processor, when you donate by card — currently Stripe
• With a marketing or mailing provider, where we're permitted to send you marketing materials and use a third party to help prepare or send them
• With a data-cleaning provider, where required by law, to help keep the data we hold accurate
• With a limited number of service providers who support our operations — for example, cloud storage, website hosting, and software providers — who may process data on our behalf
• We only ever share personal data with another organisation where we have a proper legal basis to do so

In every case above, we put a written contract or data sharing agreement in place first, including data protection terms that stop the other party using your data for their own marketing, and requiring them to protect it properly.

What's our legal basis for using your data?

• Consent — for example, we'll only email or text you marketing content if you've agreed to it, and you can withdraw that agreement any time
• Contract — where processing is needed to fulfil something you've asked us to do, such as processing a donation
• Legal obligation — where the law requires it, such as sharing data with law enforcement following a valid request
• Legitimate interests — for example, sending you postal updates unless you've told us not to; we'll only rely on this basis where it doesn't override your own interests and fundamental rights

4. How long do we keep your data?

We keep personal data only for as long as it's genuinely needed for the purpose it was collected for. In some cases we're required to keep it longer — usually where there's a legal reason to do so.

Where your data is stored: everything you give us is held on secure servers. Payments are processed securely through Stripe. If we've given you — or you've chosen — a password to access part of our website, it's your responsibility to keep it private; please don't share it with anyone.

If you use our website: we collect personal data both automatically and through the forms you fill in — for example, when you register, subscribe, or make an enquiry. See our Cookie Policy for more on the automated side of this.

5. Our website

Human Relief Mission is committed to protecting your privacy across our website experience.

Sensitive information — we do not process sensitive personal data through our website or app experience.

Geolocation — we do not track your precise location. Where relevant, we may use general information already available from your browser, such as its language setting, rather than requesting access to your device's location.

This information is used only to keep our website and app experience secure, working properly, and to help us understand and improve how they're used.

6. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We review this policy regularly and will update this page whenever changes are needed. If we make a material change, we'll display a clear notice on our website.

This Privacy Policy was last updated on [INSERT DATE].

8. How to make a complaint

If you're unhappy with how we've handled your personal data, or have any privacy concern, we want to hear from you. Please contact us on 0300 0300 160 or info@humanreliefmission.com.

If you're not satisfied with how we've dealt with your complaint, you have the right to raise it directly with the UK's data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), though they may ask whether you've given us the chance to resolve it first.