Wokingham Energy
Collective

Data protection and privacy

This notice explains what personal information Wokingham Energy Collective collects when you visit this website, join us or get in touch, why we collect it, and how we look after it.

Last updated:

At Wokingham Energy Collective (“we”, “us”, “our”), we are committed to protecting your privacy and looking after your personal information in line with UK data protection law, including the UK GDPR.

This notice explains how we collect, use, share and protect your information when you visit this website, join us or get in touch. We are a volunteer-led community energy group in Wokingham Borough, and we are responsible for (the “controller” of) the information described here.

1. Information we collect

a. Membership

When you join using our membership registration form (a Google Form), we collect your name and email address.

b. News email sign-ups

When you sign up for our news emails, we collect your name and email address. We only do this if you have ticked the box to say yes.

c. Contact form messages

When you send us a message through our contact form, we collect your name, email address and your message. You give us this information voluntarily.

d. Photographs

We sometimes share photos from our events. We ask for permission before publishing photos in which people can be clearly identified, and we always need a parent’s or guardian’s permission for anyone under 18.

e. Information collected automatically

Our web host automatically records basic technical information when you visit this website, such as your IP address, browser type, the pages requested and the date and time. This is used only to keep the website secure and working, not to track you.

2. Cookies and similar technologies

This website does not use cookies and does not track you. We don’t use advertising, Google Analytics or social media tracking tools.

If you follow a link to another website, such as Facebook, LinkedIn or our Google membership form, that website’s own privacy policy applies.

3. How we use your information

We use your personal information to:

  • keep our register of members, invite you to meetings and our Annual General Meeting, and run the group in line with our Terms of Reference
  • send you occasional news about our projects, events and ways to get involved, if you have asked us to
  • reply to the messages you send us
  • publish photos from our events, with permission
  • keep this website secure and working

4. Legal basis for processing

The law (UK GDPR) says we need a valid reason, called a lawful basis, to use your personal information. Ours are:

  • Consent: for sending you our news emails and for publishing photos in which you can be clearly identified. You can withdraw your consent at any time.
  • Legitimate interests: for keeping our register of members, running the group in line with our Terms of Reference, and replying to messages you send us. We have considered these uses and believe they are reasonable, expected and have little effect on your privacy.

5. Data retention

We keep your information only for as long as we need it:

  • Messages: deleted within 12 months, unless we are still in touch with you about them.
  • News email list: until you unsubscribe.
  • Members’ register: while you are a member, and for up to 12 months after you leave.
  • Photos: until they are no longer needed, or until you ask us to remove them.

6. International transfers

Some of the services we use (Google, MailerLite, Web3Forms and Cloudflare) may store or process information outside the UK. Where they do, safeguards recognised under UK data protection law are in place.

7. Your rights

You have the right to:

  • ask for a copy of the information we hold about you
  • ask us to correct anything that is wrong
  • ask us to delete your information
  • object to, or ask us to limit, how we use your information
  • withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on it

To do any of these, email wokinghamenergycollective@gmail.com. We will reply within one month. You can also withdraw your consent to news emails by using the unsubscribe link in any of our emails.

If you’re unhappy with how we have handled your information, please tell us first and we’ll do our best to put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection regulator: visit ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or call 0303 123 1113.

8. Third parties

Only committee members and volunteers who need it for their role can see your information. We will never sell your information or share it with anyone for marketing.

We use a small number of trusted services to run the group:

  • Google (Gmail and Google Forms): our email inbox and membership register
  • Web3Forms: passes the forms on this website to our email inbox
  • MailerLite: sends our news emails
  • Cloudflare: hosts this website

9. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your information. Access to our email inbox, website and mailing list is limited to the committee members and volunteers who need it, and our accounts are protected with two-step verification.

10. Changes to this notice

We will update this notice if the way we use personal information changes. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated.

11. Contact us

If you have questions about this notice or your personal information, email wokinghamenergycollective@gmail.com. Our committee is responsible for data protection, and your email will be handled by whoever currently holds the committee role responsible for it.