Volunteer

Our Policies

Our commitment to Data Protection

Volunteer Centre Hackney is committed to making sure that information about service users, employees, volunteers and trustees is kept private and we handle data compliant to all legal requirements.

We recognise that people trust us to keep their information safe, and that is a responsibility we take very seriously. This Notice sets out our legal duties and responsibilities, and says what we will do to make sure that we meet them.

We may change this Notice from time to time so please check this page occasionally to ensure you are  happy with any changes. By using this website and corresponding with Volunteer Centre Hackney, you are agreeing to be bound by this Notice.

Any questions regarding this Notice and our privacy practices should be sent by email to:[email protected] or in writing to Volunteer Centre Hackney, Unit 12 -13 Springfield House, 5 Tyssen Street, London E8 2LY. Alternatively, please telephone 020 7241 4443.

Who we are

Volunteer Centre Hackney (Unit 12 -13 Springfield House, 5 Tyssen Street, London E8 2LY; telephone number 020 7241 4443; charity number 1068104; company limited by guarantee no. 03357999) exists to bring out the best in volunteering: for volunteers, for organisations, for the people being helped  and for the borough of Hackney.

Our aims are to improve employment outcomes, build social cohesion, boost mental wellbeing and reduce social isolation. Our model is to work in partnership with organisations and local people, facilitating the bridging of divisions across communities.

Volunteer Centre Hackney is the data controller. This means we decide how your personal data is processed and for what purposes. We take your privacy seriously and will only use your personal information to administer your account and to provide the service(s) you requested from us.

We abide by our obligations under The UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. Volunteer Centre Hackney is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (Supervisory Authority).

Your personal data – What is it? 

Personal data relates to a living individual who can be identified from the data. Identification can be by the information alone or in conjunction with any other information in the data controller’s possession or likely to come into such possession. The processing of personal data is governed by The UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 .

How do we collect this information from you?

We obtain information about you when you use our website, email, telephone or correspond with  Volunteer Centre Hackney, for example when you contact us to find out about volunteering in Hackney or  come to one of our events, register to take part in a programme or activities, or register on our database to search for and apply for volunteer opportunities.

Privacy Notice (Short Version)

  • We take your privacy and personal data seriously and ensure it is securely processed. Please keep your login details confidential and change your password if necessary.
  • You have rights to view your data, update, withdraw or delete it.
  • When you ‘Register your interest’ in a volunteer opportunity on the Simply Connect platform, we will forward your details to the  opportunity provider. The information the provider will see is: name; first half of the  postcode; skills, interests, activities; personal profile; availability; your email address and telephone number. 
  • We can contact you about volunteering and for feedback on your experience of this.
  • You will be asked for your consent to be added to our database; we will email you information and news on volunteering, project updates, volunteering opportunities and events regularly.  You have the right to withdraw that consent at any time by contacting [email protected]
  • If you haven’t engaged with our service for five years, we will delete your personal data.
  • You have the right to withdraw that consent at any time by contacting [email protected]
  • If you choose to ‘opt-in’ to receive our email newsletter, Volunteer Centre Hackney will email you information and news about volunteering opportunities and events up to four times a month. Your first name, surname and email address will be held with one of our third-party data processors MailChimp.
  • If you register as a participant on one of our programmes (or ‘services’) you will be asked for your preferred form of contact and will be informed about these methods; these include telephone, text messaging, email and WhatsApp. You will be asked to give your consent to being contacted to be sent information about events and activities by email, text message or WhatsApp.

Privacy Notice (Long Version)

Why do we collect this information from you? What we do with your data

We may use your information to;

  • Match you to volunteering opportunities.
  • Contact you about volunteering opportunities which are relevant to your skills and interests
  • Ask for your views or comments on the services we provide.
  • Send you communications which you have consented to and that may be of interest to you. These may include information on events, campaigns, programmes, other activities, volunteering opportunities and promotions of our partner organisations.
  • Ask you for your feedback via online surveys where appropriate.
  • Signpost or refer you to other appropriate services, with your consent.
  • Notify you of changes to our services.
  • Process a job application.

Who has access to your information?

All the personal data we process is processed by our staff in London. We only allow access to your personal data by those employees and partners who have a “need to know”. 

Our staff adhere to our strict confidentiality agreements and data processing techniques. Personal  information is password protected and/or locked.

We will not rent or sell your information to third parties. We will not share your information with third parties for marketing purposes.

We also collect this information in order to be able to provide a better service to you and match you with suitable volunteering opportunities or programmes offering support.

Third Party Service Providers working on our behalf

We pass your information to third-party providers, agents, grant funders, subcontractors and other associated organisations for the purposes of completing tasks and providing services to you on our behalf. 

  • Simply Connect.
  • For feedback on our services, we send online surveys out using your email address only via SurveyMonkey. Read more about their compliance with GDPR here.
  • For the purposes of communicating with you via email, we store your name and email addresson MailChimp, one of our third-party data processors. MailChimp office and servers are located in the United States. This means data that is gathered via MailChimp may be transferred to, stored, or processed in the United States. To read more about how this data is managed, click here. You can delete your details at any time from our mailing lists by contacting Volunteer Centre Hackney on  020 7241 4443 or email [email protected] or by using the ‘unsubscribe’ button at the bottom of any  MailChimp email we send to you. 

Special categories of data

Volunteer Centre Hackney gathers data for the purpose of monitoring equal opportunities and to provide  the best possible service to you. Equal opportunities monitoring data, like gender and ethnicity is processed for the purposes of understanding barriers to volunteering and to improve accessibility. This information will be held for up to five years and the information is anonymised to analyse trends and set  targets for involving under-represented groups and to inform our Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Policy. You have the right to withdraw your consent by contacting Volunteer Centre Hackney on 020 7241 4443 or email  [email protected]

We also collect this information in order to be able to provide a better service to you and match you with suitable volunteering opportunities or programmes offering support.

Your Rights If you do not Provide Consent

If you do not wish to provide your consent and personal information to our service then please contact  Volunteer Centre Hackney on 020 7241 4443 or [email protected], to enable them to help you  search for suitable opportunities.

Withdrawing your Consent 

If you have given consent and later wish to later withdraw your consent, please email [email protected] or telephone 020 7241 4443.  

Subject Access Request 

If you wish for a copy of the information we store about you please contact us and ask for a  Subject Access Request form by:

  • Telephone: 020 7241 4443
  • In writing: Volunteer Centre Hackney, Units 12-13 Springfield House, 5 Tyssen Street, London E8 2LY

Volunteer Centre Hackney will then provide you with a Subject Access Request Form to complete and enable Volunteer Centre Hackney to provide the information you request within one month of the Subject Access Request. Where the data request is more complex or numerous this may take longer, however we will outline our reasons for taking longer and will notify you within one month of why it will take longer  and when you can expect the request. We have the right to charge an administration fee to provide you with the Subject Access Request. 

Deactivating Your Account 

If you want to deactivate or disable your Simply Connect account please let us know by contacting 020 7241 4443 or email [email protected].

Deletion of Your Account

If you want to delete your Simply Connect account please let us know by contacting 020 7241 4443 or email [email protected] 

We will also remove your details if we are unable to contact you or you do not confirm your email address. 

How long we keep your Data 

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting or reporting requirements. 

Your Password

When you register with our service we ask you to choose a password. This allows you to login to the site. As your password controls your access to the site, you should not share it with anyone else. If you believe that your password is known by another person, you should change your password immediately. For your own security, you should also remember to log out when you finish using the service. Volunteer Centre Hackney cannot and will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with this section.

Your Personal Data Rights

  1. Right of Access: Access to your personal data. Please see the section Subject Access Request.
  2. Right to Erasure: Withdraw your consent from the Service. Please see the section How Long we Keep your Data, Deletion and Reactivation.
  3. Right to Data Portability: On request we will provide your personal data to you.
  4. Right to be Informed: How your data is processed is explained in this Privacy Notice.
  5. Right to Rectification: To have personal data rectified if it is inaccurate or incomplete.
  6. Right to Restrict Processing: To suppress further processing of your data .
  7. Right to Object: To processing based on legitimate interests or the performance of a task in the public interest/exercise of official authority (including profiling). To object to receive marketing/emails.
  8. Rights related to Automated Profiling: Not to be subject to a decision when it is based on automated processing or it produces a legal effect or a similarly significant effect on the individual.

The service we offer

We offer user registration to make it as easy as possible for you to apply online for volunteering opportunities and to participate in our programmes. When you ‘Register your interest’ in an opportunity on the Simply Connect platform, we will forward your details to the  opportunity provider. 

The information the opportunity provider (the organisation hosting the opportunity) will see about you is: 

  • Name
  • First half of the postcode
  • Skills, interests and activities
  • Personal profile 
  • Availability

Once you have ‘registered interest’ in an opportunity and the organisation has accepted this interest, they will then be able to see your:

  • Email address 
  • Telephone number

As the opportunity broker Volunteer Centre Hackney holds this information, to allow you to apply for  another opportunity without having to complete a new form each time. This information is held securely on the Simply Connect database system.

We would only forward your details to the organisation hosting the opportunity in order to take your application forward. Otherwise, the information will never be passed on to a third party without your permission unless we are legally obliged to do so.

We will supply you with contact details for the organisation that your application is sent to. We are not responsible for the privacy policies and practices of other organisations you deal with or websites that you  visit.

You can choose to be searchable via the Simply Connect Volunteer Bank or you can choose to opt out of this and only be seen by organisations when you have registered an interest in their opportunity.

Why we ask for personal information e.g. your Date of Birth, gender, ethnicity, disability

We ask for your date of birth for a number of reasons, which help us to provide volunteering opportunities:

  • Not all volunteering opportunities are open to all age groups (e.g. some are specifically for young people or older people and many organisations cannot involve volunteers under the age of 16 etc) so it helps our partners place volunteers into appropriate opportunities.
  • Our partner organisations need to ensure that they are involving all sections of their community and have to demonstrate this to their funders so they require date of birth to be included in the registration process. By supplying it here, it means it is transferred directly on to the partner’s  database.
  • Age discrimination laws do not currently apply to volunteering opportunities.
  • We ask for information about disability and ethnicity to help us and the opportunity provider with equal opportunities monitoring.
  • This is all important data for us to collect as it helps us monitor who is using Volunteer Centre Hackney and Simply Connect. We have a stated aim of ensuring that we are  reaching all sections of society.

Gathering this data helps us to demonstrate we are reaching all sectors of the community and demonstrate our commitment to equal opportunities. When we compile this data, it is done anonymously to help us to demonstrate our impact  to funders and develop our service to further meet users’ needs. By choosing to submit this information you consent to the processing of  this information by us and these organisations. 

Cookies Policy

Like many other websites, the Volunteer Centre Hackney website uses cookies. “Cookies” are small pieces  of information sent by an organisation to your computer and stored on your hard drive to allow that  website to recognise you when you visit. They collect statistical data about your browsing actions and  patterns and do not identify you as an individual.

Comments and Complaints Procedure 

For any queries regarding your account, or if you wish to make a comment or complaint about the service please contact the Deputy CEO on 020 7241 4443. Every effort will be made to resolve your issue.

If you have concerns about how your data is being handled you can also contact the Information  Commissioner’s Office (Supervisory Authority).

The ICO’s address:           

  • Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House
  • Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
  • Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

Copyright notice 

  1. Volunteer Centre Hackney is the owner or licensee of all intellectual property rights in the Website. The Material refers to the images, text, infographics, resources and documents (in pdf, Word or video format) protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world and all rights are reserved. You may not use or do anything with the Material or any of our intellectual property rights apart from as set out in this section.
  2. The names, images and logos identifying VCH or third parties and their products and services are the proprietary marks of VCH and/or third parties as appropriate. You may only use these where they are included on any pages or documents that you copy and use in accordance with this. Nothing contained in these terms and conditions or on the Website may be construed as conferring any licence or right under any trademark or patent of VCH or any third party.
  3. Commercial use or publication of all or any Material is strictly prohibited without prior written authorisation from VCH. 
  4. You may:
    1. print off or download any page(s) from the Website for your personal use;
    2. copy documents on this Website for personal, non-commercial use only on the condition that copyright and source indications are also copied, no modifications are made and the document is copied entirely. 
  5. You must NOT:
    1. modify the paper or digital copies of any Material you have printed off or downloaded in any way, and you must not use any illustrations, photographs, video or audio sequences or any graphics separately from any accompanying text; or 
    2. copy, display or publish any of the Material (including any photos, documents or text) in a way which is accessible to the public (for example, on another website) without prior written authorisation from VCH.  Please note that some Material (including some documents and photos) has been published on this Website with the permission of the relevant copyright owners (who are not VCH). All rights are reserved on these documents and permission to copy them must be requested from the copyright owners (the sources are indicated within these documents/photographs).

Website Accessibility statement

 

This accessibility statement applies to Volunteer Centre Hackney’s website. This website is run by Volunteer Centre Hackney. We are committed to making its website accessible, ensuring that as many people as possible are able to use this website, including the use of assistive technologies, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

The fonts are designed to be easy to use, with line lengths and spacing designed for an easier reading experience. The text and language we use is appropriate for the content: we have used a Clear English checker. There are consistent navigation aids throughout the site to help you find the information you need. We’ve also made the website text meet colour contrast requirements and tried to make it is as simple as possible to understand.

You are also able to:

  • zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
  • navigate most of the website using a keyboard or speech recognition software

listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver).

How accessible is this website

Our web designers and developers use a range of methods and processes to ensure that our website is accessible to all users. The website has been tested against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) [2.1 or 2.2] AA standard. It is partially compliant with the [Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard.  

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible at present:

  • you cannot modify the line height or spacing of text
  • most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software. Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.
  • you cannot skip to the main content when using a screen reader
  • Some images do not have a text alternative, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. Text alternatives for all images will be available by September 2024, and new content will meet accessibility standards

We are aware that users are currently not able to change text size, or skip the repeated content in the page header (for example, a ‘skip to main content’ option). We’ve assessed the cost of fixing these issues and are unable to do so now doing so now as this would be a ‘disproportionate burden’ within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. We will however keep this under review and will reassess this annually.

Feedback, alternative formats and contact information

If you would like information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, or as an audio recording please contact us, and we will respond in 5 working days:

If you cannot view the map on our ‘find us’ page, please call or email us for directions.

If you have any difficulties in using our website or have any questions or feedback regarding the accessibility or usability of our website, please email us on [email protected] or call us on 020 7241 4443.



Terms and Conditions

Welcome to our Website. If you continue to browse and use this Website, you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use, which together with our Privacy Policy [add link] govern Volunteer Centre Hackney’s relationship with you in relation to this Website. If you disagree with any part of these terms and conditions, please do not use our Website. The term ‘VCH’ or ‘us’ or ‘we’ refers to the owner of the website whose contact details can be found on our contact page. The term ‘you’ refers to the user or viewer of our website. The term ‘Material’ refers to all content including images, text, infographics, resources and documents (in pdf, Word or video format).

The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use:

  1. the content of the pages of this website are for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice, and we reserve the right to withdraw or amend this Website and any Material, products or services on this Website at any time.
  2. you agree to use this Website only for lawful purposes and in a manner which does not infringe the rights of, or restrict, or inhibit the use and enjoyment of the Website by, any third party. Such restriction includes, without limitation, conduct which may harass, defame or cause distress to any person and the transmission of obscene or offensive material within this Website.
  3. this Website uses cookies and may not function correctly without them. By using our website and agreeing to these terms and conditions, you are consenting to our use of cookies in accordance with our cookie policy. Please refer to our cookie policy for further information.
  4. neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, reliability, timelines, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.
  5. your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which VCH shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.
  6. VCH does not accept any liability for any loss or damage caused by viruses or any other technologically harmful material that may infect your computer equipment, programs, data or other proprietary material due to your use of our Website or to your downloading of any content on it, or on any website linked to it.
  7. by using our Website or some of our services, or providing us with any personal data, you agree to your personal data being used and disclosed only in the manner set out in our Privacy Notice [add link]. You must keep your password confidential and must not disclose it to anyone. If at any time you know or suspect that a third party may know your password you must promptly change it. We may choose not to accept your registration and we reserve the right to cancel or disable your registration, account or password at any time.
  8. this Website contains material which is owned by or licensed by permission to us. This material includes, but is not limited to the design, layout, look, appearance, images and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the Copyright Notice [add link], which forms part of these Terms and Conditions. For third party Materials (including some documents and photos) published on this Website, permission to copy them must be requested from the copyright owners (the sources are indicated within these documents/photographs).
  1. all trademarks reproduced in this website, which are not the property of, or licensed to the operator, are acknowledged on the website.
  2. this Website includes links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information, resources and support. VCH has no control and therefore takes no responsibility for the content of external internet sites even when we have included a link on our own Website. They do not signify that we endorse the website(s), nor does it indicate any form of association or partnership on our part. We have no responsibility for the content of the linked website(s).
  3. unauthorised use of this Website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offence. This includes misuse of our Website by knowingly introducing viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs or other material which is malicious or technologically harmful. You must not attempt to gain unauthorised access to our Website, the server on which our Website is stored or any server, computer or database connected to our Website. You must not attack our Website via a denial-of-service attack or a distributed denial-of service attack. By breaching this provision, you would commit a criminal offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. We will report any such breach to the relevant law enforcement authorities and we will co-operate with those authorities by disclosing your identity to them. In the event of such a breach, your right to use our Website will cease immediately.
  4. your use of this Website and any dispute arising out of such use of the Website is subject to the laws of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.