Looking after what you share

When you reach out to African Caribbean Widows UK, you trust us with something personal. We take that trust seriously. This notice explains what we collect, why, and the choices you have.

What we collect

When you complete our join form, we collect:

• your name, email address and, if you choose, your phone number and best time to call;
• the area of the UK you live in;
• if you choose to tell us, your heritage, when you lost your partner, what you hope to find, and anything else you write to us;
• how you heard about us.

Information about your heritage is treated as special category data under UK data protection law. It is always optional, and we only hold it because you have given your explicit consent.

Why we use it

• to contact you personally and welcome you to the community;
• to connect you with other members and activities near you or that suit you.

Our lawful basis is your consent, which you give when you tick the box on the form. You can withdraw it at any time.

Who sees it

Your answers are sent to our community inbox and are only seen by the people who run the community. They are stored in a private Google Sheet that only the people who run the community can open, using Google's services. We never sell your information, and we never share it with other members without your permission.

How long we keep it

We keep your details while you are part of the community, or until you ask us to delete them. If we cannot reach you, we will delete your enquiry after 12 months.

Your rights

You can ask to see the information we hold about you, ask us to correct or delete it, or withdraw your consent at any time, just email acwidowsuk@gmail.com. If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.