PRIVACY POLICY

This privacy policy sets out how the BME Health Forum uses and protects any information that you give to the BME Health Forum when you use our website and sign up to our newsletter.

The BME Health Forum is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. We may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from May 2018.

What we collect

When you sign up to our newsletter we ask you for the following information:

• name
• email address
• organisation you represent
• Borough in which you live (if responding as an individual rather than organisation)

However, you can receive our newsletter by merely providing a correct email address and entering non applicable against all other entries.

Also our newsletter provider Mailchimp collects the following information:

• Location (city)
• Language
• Favourite email client (e.g. iphone)
• Preferred email format
• Activity (e.g. opening newsletters, clicking on links etc)

Your data may also be available to our website provider to enable us and them to carry out analysis and research on demographics, interests and behavior of our users and supporters to help us gain a better understanding of them to enable us to improve our services.  This may include connecting data we receive from you on the website to data available from other sources.  Your personally identifiable data will only be used where it is necessary for the analysis required, and where your interests for privacy are deemed to outweigh their legitimate interests in developing new services for us.  In the case of this activity the follow will apply:

• Your data will be made available to our website provider
• The data that may be available to them include any of the data we collect as described above.
• Our website provider will not transfer your data to any other third party, or transfer your data outside of the EEA.
• They will store your data for a maximum of [7] years.

What we do with the information we gather

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

• We send regular newsletters about information which we think you may find interesting using the email address which you have provided.
• We may use the information of how you use our website and newsletter to improve our services.

Security

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

How we use cookies 

A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

This BME Health Forum website runs on the Concrete5 CMS. Concrete5 uses a session cookie for internal website administration. No personal information is stored in this cookie and it is not used/required to browse the website.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about webpage traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Controlling your personal information
We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law to do so. If you subscribe to our newsletter we will send you information which we hope you will find interesting. You can unsubscribe from our newsletter with one click.

Your right to access information about you

If you think we may hold personal data relating to you and want to see it please write to info@bmehf.org.uk

Correcting or deleting your personal data

If you know that we are holding your personal data and believe that it may be wrong, or if you want it to be deleted or for us to stop using it, you have a right to request that it can be deleted or amended.

Please make your objection in writing to info@bmehf.org.uk

Or send it by post to:

BME Health Forum

Church Street Neighbourhood Centre
Cherwell House, Penfold Street
London, NW8 8PT

Complaints about how we look after or use your information

If you feel that we have not met our responsibilities under data protection legislation, you have a right to request an independent assessment from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). You can find details on their website.