Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Cults Library Trust is a registered Scottish charity working to bring Cults Library back into community use as a hub for community, education and wellbeing.

For data protection purposes, Cults Library Trust is the data controller for the personal information we collect and use.

If you have any questions about this policy or how we use your data, you can contact us at:

Email: [insert email address]
Address: [insert postal address if required]

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2. The Information We Collect

We may collect and use the following types of personal information:

• Your name

• Email address

• Postal address

• Telephone number

• Membership details

• Donation details

• Gift Aid information, where applicable

• Volunteer application details

• Event booking or attendance information

• Enquiries submitted through our website or contact forms

• Safeguarding concerns or incident reports, where relevant

• Communication preferences

• Any other information you choose to provide to us

We may also collect limited technical information when you use our website, such as cookies, analytics information or basic website usage data, depending on the settings and tools used on our website.

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3. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information to:

• Respond to enquiries

• Manage membership records

• Process donations and acknowledge support

• Administer Gift Aid, where applicable

• Manage volunteer applications and volunteering activity

• Keep supporters updated about our work, where we have a lawful basis to do so

• Organise events, activities and community engagement

• Manage safeguarding concerns appropriately

• Keep accurate governance, finance and charity records

• Meet legal, regulatory and reporting obligations

• Improve our website, communications and services

• Support our charitable aims around community, education and wellbeing

We will only use your personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so.

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4. Our Lawful Bases for Using Personal Data

Depending on the situation, we may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

• Consent: where you have clearly agreed to us using your information, such as signing up to receive updates.

• Legitimate interests: where we need to use information to run the Trust, respond to enquiries, manage relationships with supporters, or carry out our charitable work, provided your rights and freedoms are not overridden.

• Legal obligation: where we are required to keep or share information for legal, financial, charity, safeguarding or regulatory reasons.

• Contract: where we need to process information in relation to a role, booking, membership or agreement with you.

• Vital interests: where information may need to be used in an emergency to protect someone’s life or safety.

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5. Special Category and Sensitive Information

In some limited circumstances, we may process more sensitive information. This could include health information, accessibility needs, safeguarding information, or information relating to children, young people or adults at risk.

We will only collect this type of information where it is necessary and lawful, such as for safeguarding, health and safety, accessibility, volunteer management, or to protect someone from harm. We will treat this information with particular care and restrict access to those who need to know.

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6. Children and Young People

As part of our work around community, education and wellbeing, Cults Library Trust may engage with children and young people through events, volunteering, learning activities or safeguarding processes.

Where we collect information about children or young people, we will do so carefully, fairly and only where necessary. Where appropriate, we may seek consent from a parent, carer or guardian. Safeguarding information will be handled in line with our safeguarding policies and procedures.

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7. Donations, Membership and Gift Aid

If you donate to the Trust, become a member, or complete a Gift Aid declaration, we may use your information to process the donation, maintain financial records, claim Gift Aid where applicable, and thank you for your support.

We may be legally required to retain some financial and Gift Aid records for audit, tax and charity accounting purposes.

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8. Volunteers

If you apply to volunteer with Cults Library Trust, we may use your information to assess your application, contact you about suitable opportunities, manage your involvement, provide support and training, and meet safeguarding or legal requirements.

For some roles, additional checks may be required, such as PVG scheme membership where the role involves regulated work with children or protected adults.

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9. Communications and Marketing

We may contact you with updates about our work, activities, fundraising, volunteering, membership, events and opportunities to support Cults Library Trust.

We will only send marketing or newsletter communications where we have a lawful basis to do so. You can opt out of receiving these communications at any time by contacting us or using any unsubscribe option provided.

We will not sell your personal information to third parties.

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10. Who We Share Information With

We will only share personal information where necessary and appropriate. This may include sharing information with:

• Trustees, officers, staff or volunteers who need it for their role

• Website, email, form, donation or membership service providers

• Payment processors

• Accountants, auditors or professional advisers

• HMRC, where Gift Aid or tax records require it

• OSCR, regulators or public authorities, where required

• Safeguarding agencies, emergency services or local authorities where there is a concern about safety or wellbeing

Where we use external service providers, we expect them to handle personal information securely and only for the purposes agreed with us.

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11. How We Store and Protect Your Information

We take reasonable steps to keep personal information secure and to protect it from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure or alteration.

This may include using secure digital systems, password protection, access controls, appropriate filing systems and limiting access to personal data to those who need it for Trust purposes.

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12. How Long We Keep Information

We will only keep personal information for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, including to meet legal, financial, safeguarding, insurance, regulatory or charity governance requirements.

Different types of information may be kept for different periods. For example, financial and Gift Aid records may need to be retained for legal and accounting reasons, while general enquiries may be kept for a shorter period.

When information is no longer required, we will securely delete or dispose of it.

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13. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have rights over your personal information. These may include the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you

• Ask us to correct inaccurate information

• Ask us to delete information in certain circumstances

• Ask us to restrict how we use your information

• Object to certain types of processing

• Withdraw consent where we rely on consent

• Request that your information is transferred to another organisation in certain circumstances

Some rights may not apply in all situations, especially where we need to keep information for legal, safeguarding, financial or regulatory reasons.

To exercise your rights, please contact us using the details above.

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14. Cookies and Website Data

Our website may use cookies or similar technologies to help it function, understand how visitors use the site, improve performance, or support embedded services such as forms, donations or analytics.

Where required, we will ask for your consent before using non-essential cookies. You can usually manage cookies through your browser settings.

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15. Links to Other Websites

Our website may include links to other websites, such as donation platforms, partner organisations or external resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites. You should read their privacy policies before providing personal information.

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16. Complaints

If you are concerned about how we use your personal information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue.

You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office, which regulates data protection in the UK:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Website: www.ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113

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17. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our work, legal requirements or how we use personal information. The latest version will be published on our website.