Privacy Policy

At The Elders we are committed to maintaining the security and privacy of our data subjects personal data. 

We appreciate and value how important privacy is to you and therefore we protect your information as if it were our own.

This notice will explain why we need your data, how we use it and your rights over it.

As part of respecting your rights to control your personal data, this privacy notice explains the information we collect from you, either directly or indirectly, and how we will use it.

We will endeavour to ensure that any information you submit to us remains private and is only used for the purposes set out in this policy.

Who is responsible for your data?

When you provide your personal data to The Elders it mean that we are responsible for your data and will be the ‘controller’.  We are committed to ensuring that the information we collect and use is appropriate for the purpose, and does not constitute an invasion of your privacy. 

Data Lead

Our Data Protection Lead is Mark Hilton (Chief of Staff). 

If you have any questions regarding our Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data please

Email: Mark Hilton at mark.hilton@theelders.org

Write to:  Mark Hilton, The Elders, 3 Tilney Street, London, W1K 1BJ 

What information we collect & process, and why

We may collect your personal data in a number of ways, for example:

• When you visit our website
• When you sign up to our e-newsletter
• When you follow our social media channels and interact with them
• When you communicate with us by post, telephone, SMS, email or via our website
• When you participate in a discussion forum online
• When you apply for a job with us
• When you attend an event we organise 
• When you make a donation
• From third parties who collect personal data on our behalf such as ticket agencies or contractors where, for example the assist us in running events
• As you interact with us in other ways, for example as a contractor or in any other capacity

We will use your personal information in the following ways to:

• Organise events
• Send you newsletters
• Process payments
• Organise travel
• Provide and facilitate discussion forums
• Send you newsletters or information on our activities which we think might be of interest to you
• Respond to enquiries
• Consider job applications
• Fulfil our legal obligations

The information that we collect may include:

• Contact details such as name, address, email address and phone numbers
• Date of birth, gender and marital status
• Health information
• Dietary requirements where this is required for catering
• Religious or political beliefs when you express them in the public domain e.g. in an online forum which is moderated by The Elders
• Name of your parent or guardian (if you are under 18)
• Nationality
• Photographs

In respect of job applicants we may also collect:

• Your image and likeness where this is required for business or security purposes
• Information about your family, social circumstances and extra-curricular activities
• Your bank account details, tax and residency status
• References from previous employers or educational institutions
• Contact details for your family members and next of kin
• Information concerning your health or medical conditions
• Information about your race, ethnicity and sexual orientation
• Details of criminal convictions    

Enquires

If you contact The Elders to make a general enquiry, your personal information will be used to respond to your enquiry.   

Events

If you choose to attend an event we are organising, we will use the personal information that you provide to manage your attendance.  This may include for example, your postal address, your email address, dietary requirements for catering, special access requirements. We will request your explicit consent to hold and use any medical, political or religious information that you may provide. 

Social Media and Discussion Forums

If you choose to participate in discussion forum facilitated by The Elders, for example on our Facebook page or on Twitter, apart from your username and content you post other personal information you provide will not be made available.  Each participant’s opinion on a discussion forum is his or her own and should not be considered as reflecting the opinion of The Elders.    

Cookies and Aggregate Information

We use cookies and log files on our website (theelders.org) to store information on how you use our website.  A cookie is a piece of data stored on the user’s computer tied to information about the user.  This enables us to create a profile which details your viewing preferences.  We use your profile to tailor your visit to our website, to make navigation easier and direct you to information that best corresponds to your interests.   View our Cookie Policy 

Aggregate information is collected from users using our own web tracker. This information includes users' Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, platform type, date/time of visit, number of clicks, error pages and number of unique visits. This information is not linked to personal profiles or to personally identifiable information provided by users. We use it to analyse visitor trends and use of our website, administer the website and to gather broad demographic information of our website users. 

Job Applications

If you provide us with information about yourself, such as a resume or CV in connection with a job application or enquiry we may use this information to process your enquiry.  We will not store this information for any purpose other than that relating to your application.  

Information which may be of interest to you

If you sign up for The Elders’ newsletter we will send you information which we hope will be of interest to you.  If you choose to provide your email address (or address and postcode) or areas of The Elders’ work which you are particularly interested in, we will provide you with information of direct relevance to your interests.    

Our Legal Basis for processing personal information 

Depending on the activity, we will use the following reasons to process your information:

• you have given us consent to do so;
• we are processing your information so that we can fulfil our promise or agreement in providing services to you;
• the processing is necessary for a contract we have with you, or because we have been asked to take specific steps before entering into a contract.
• we need to comply with a legal obligation;
• we have a legitimate interest to do so.

We will seek you consent to process your personal information where appropriate.  We will normally ask for your consent to process medical or religious information that you provide to us, for example in relation to applying for a job or attending an event.  We will process your personal information without necessarily obtaining consent where one of the other legal bases listed above, exists.    

We only use your information for the purposes detailed in this notice.  If there are any changes to the way we process your data, we will contact you and ensure that any new processing is done in accordance with relevant Data Privacy Laws.

Where is your information processed?

Primarily we process personal data in England. 

From time to time, we may we will transfer your personal information to third-party service providers outside of the European Economic Area (EEA).

If we transfer personal information to countries or jurisdictions which may not be subject to an adequacy decision granted by the European Commission we will take steps designed to ensure that the Personal Data we collect about you is processed according to the provisions of this Privacy Notice and applicable law wherever the data is located.  By providing your information to us, you understand that the transfer, storage, and processing of your data may occur outside the EEA.

When we transfer Personal Data outside the EAA, we ensure the following adequate levels of protection apply

• It is transferred to a country deemed to have adequate privacy provisions by the European Commission.
• The transfer is based on the Standard Contractual Clauses that have been approved by the EU
• An approved code of conduct together with binding and enforceable commitments of the receiver outside the EU.

Who we share your data with

At The Elders we believe in keeping you informed about what happens with your data to preserve our relationship of trust and confidence and therefore we do not sell any of your information to third parties. 

We occasionally use selected companies to perform tasks on behalf of our business, which may involve them processing of your personal data e.g. ticketing agents, printers, mail out services.  However, we only share your personal data with companies that help us deliver our activities or when absolutely necessary.  

When it is necessary, we ensure that your data is processed to the same standards as we expect of ourselves and ensure that a third party data processing contracts is in place. 

How long is your data retained?

The Elders will only keep your personal data for as long as necessary.   It may be necessary to retain your personal data complying with our legal obligations, resolving disputes, enforcing our agreements, detection and prevention of a crime, and to prevent fraud and abuse.

How is your data kept secure?

The Elders’ rely on a series of people, process, physical and technological controls that help us protect your data.  We store the personal data you provide us on computer systems that have access controls in place, are checked for vulnerabilities and we also have physical access controls in our facilities.

When you submit personal data through our website, we have tested the form fields for known vulnerabilities and ensure that data is transmitted over encrypted channels, so that it cannot be accessed by unauthorised individuals. 

The Elders’ have also implemented a number of technical and administrative measures to protect your information from loss, theft, misuse and unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration and destruction.

Your Personal Data Rights

You have a great deal of rights over your personal information and at The Elders we are committed to honouring them for you when processing your data.  The next sections provide you with information on how you can exercise your rights relative to personal data of yours that is processed by us.

To exercise your rights and in order to correctly process your request and authenticate your identity, we may request further information or evidence from you.  This is to prevent a request being administered following a request form someone other than yourself.

Your request will be processed free of charge, unless it is manifestly unfounded or excessive, and responses will be without undue delay and within a calendar month.

How can you rectify your data if it is not accurate?

If you wish to inform us of any changes to your personal data or preferences, then please contact the Data Lead, Mark Hilton (contact details at the beginning of Policy). 

If we are satisfied that the data are correct and accurate, we will inform you that this is the case and explain our decision. 

How can you gain access to your personal data?

If you require access to your personal data, you have the right to request this information from The Elders.  

If we are processing your personal information, you may request access to it by contacting the Data Lead, Mark Hilton (contact details at the beginning of Policy). 

Once your request is received and identity verified, we will communicate back to you in writing, where appropriate by electronic means, or if requested, the information may be provided orally. 

If we require an extension to provide you with your information, we will still communicate back to you within a calendar month, outlining our justification for the additional time required.

If we do not take action regarding your request, we will provide the reasons for not doing so. 

How can you request the erasure of your data from our systems?

If you believe your data should be erased by The Elders’ then you have the right to request this by contacting Data Lead, Mark Hilton (contact details at the beginning of Policy) and providing us with full details of your request.

We only retain data as long as necessary but will review your request accordingly and respond to you within a calendar month.

If we do not take action regarding your request to erasure, we will provide the reasons for not doing so. 

How can you make a request for The Elders’ to restrict processing of your data?

You have the right to request that The Elders process your data on a restricted basis in certain circumstances. 

You can make a request to restrict processing of your personal data, by providing full details and reasons for your request to Data Lead, Mark Hilton (contact details at the beginning of Policy). 

We will automatically restrict processing whilst we consider the accuracy of the data or the legitimate grounds for processing it.

How do you object to The Elders processing your data?

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in a range of specified circumstances. 

Your objection must be based on your particular situation and unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms, we will stop processing your personal data.

Where your personal data are processed for direct marketing purposes, we will cease processing on receipt of an objection without exception.

You can make an objection to us processing your personal data by providing full details of your request to Data Lead, Mark Hilton (contact details at the beginning of Policy). 

How do you challenge The Elders making assessments about you through automated decision-making?

The Elders do not carry out solely automated decision making and/or profiling.   This notice is regularly reviewed and, if this changes, it will be reflected in this notice.

How can you raise a concern or make a complaint?

We are always interested in what you have to say, good or bad.  If you wish to provide us with any feedback regarding this notice, have a complaint or wish to exercise any of your rights listed above, please contact or Data Lead, Mark Hilton (contact details at the beginning of the policy). 

Alternatively, if you are not satisfied with our response to any query you raise or you believe we are processing your personal data in a which is inconsistent with the law, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who can be contacted directly on 0303 123 1113 or by visiting https://ico.org/concerns

Changes to our Privacy Notice

We may occasionally make alterations to this page which will reflect how we process and look after your data.  This is to ensure our commitment to you in protecting your information and upholding your rights.  We recommend that you visit this webpage periodically to keep up-to-date with the changes to the Privacy Policy.    

If important changes are made to this policy, we will draw your attention to them by making this clear on our website, through our services or by another means of communication, such as email.  This will allow you to assess the changes and make an up-to-date decision if you would like to continue using our services.