Privacy notice
How we use your personal information
This privacy notice explains how and why we use your personal information.
It’s important you read this notice, along with any other privacy notices we give you when we collect your information.
This notice gives extra information. It does not replace any other privacy notices.
Who are we?
We are The National Lottery Community Fund (the Fund). We’re a non-departmental public body. This means we’re a public body that’s not directly controlled by the government. Our role is to give out money for good causes. Most of our funding comes from the National Lottery. But some comes from other places, like from government or from dormant asset.
Contact us
If you have questions or need more information, you can contact us.
If you want to ask about our use of your personal information, you can get in touch with our data protection officer.
Email: data.protection@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk
Data protection officerThe National Lottery Community Fund
Apex House, 3 Embassy Drive
Birmingham
B15 1TR
What this privacy notice covers
This privacy notice covers how we deal with your personal information, including:
- how we gather your information
- your legal rights over your personal information
- our role in handling your personal information
- how we protect your information
- examples of information we collect, how we use it and why
- how to contact us
How we gather your information
We get most of the personal information we process directly from you. The main reasons include when you:
- apply for funding or provide us with information as an applicant or funded organisation
- complete a survey or interview we’ve done, or someone has done for us
- subscribe to our mailing list, newsletters or request a publication from us
- register for, attend, or have attended, an event with us
- submit a complaint, concern, query or request information from us
- contact us by phone, email or in writing, providing business contact details for you (or anyone you copy in to the correspondence)
- share your professional contact details publicly (such as on a website or at an event)
- apply for a job, secondment or appointment with us (including to our boards, committees or panels)
- attend a programme or project that we’ve funded
We also get some personal information indirectly. This includes from:
- organisations applying for or receiving our funding, who occasionally share information about people who benefit from the funding (sometimes called beneficiaries)
- other National Lottery distributors, public authorities, regulators, or law enforcement agencies
- organisations we contract to carry out evaluations for programmes we fund
- any individual who refers to you in a complaint or safeguarding concern
If we can do so fairly and reasonably, we’ll contact you to tell you that we’re using your personal information.
Your rights over your personal information
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), you have rights over your personal information. These include the right to:
- access your information – you can ask us for copies of your personal information
- ask us to correct information – you can ask us to correct personal information you think is wrong or complete information you think is incomplete
- ask us to delete your information – in some circumstances, you can ask us to delete your personal information
- ask us to limit how we use your information – in some circumstances, you can ask us to limit how we use your personal information
- object to how we use your information – in some circumstances, you can object to us using your personal information
- ask us to transfer your information – in some circumstances, you can ask us to transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation or to you
Sometimes we rely on your consent to process your personal information. In these cases you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
Requesting a change to how we handle your personal information
If you would like to make any changes to how we handle your personal information, including withdrawing your consent, contact our data protection officer.
Requesting a copy of your personal information
If you would like a copy of the personal information we hold about you you must submit a rights request.
When submitting a request you may be asked to verify your identity for security.
We usually respond to valid requests within 1 month of getting them.
Making a complaint about how we use your personal information
If you wish to complain about the use of your personal information by the Fund, please contact our Data Protection Officer.
If you are unhappy with our response, you have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office, the contact details of which are as follows:
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Report online: Make a complaint about how an organisation has used your personal information
Our role in handling your personal information
This notice covers when we’re the data controller. It also covers when we are a joint controller or a processor.
We’re the data controller for most of our work we do as a National Lottery distributor. This includes when we give out funding directly.
We’re a joint controller when we work in partnership with another organisation. And we’re a processor when we do work on behalf of another organisation.
You can find definitions of data controller, joint controller and processor on the Information Commissioner’s Office website.
The types of other organisation we work with to give out funding include:
- government departments
- devolved governments of the UK
- other National Lottery distributors
How we protect your personal information
We’re Cyber Essentials certified. This means we have been independently assessed by security specialists. We also adhere to National Cyber Security Centre standards to protect all our systems and any data we process.
Automated technologies or interactions
Your personal information will not be subject to any automated decision making.
Transfers of personal information abroad
If your personal information is transferred to a country outside of the UK or European Economic Area, we’ll ensure it is transferred in accordance with this policy and subject to appropriate safety measures.
We’ll make sure that organisations we share information with protect your personal information to UK standards. For example, by including obligations in our contracts or agreements with them, or making sure they subscribe to international standards.
If you need further details about the safeguards in place to protect your personal information in these circumstances, contact our data protection officer.
The legal reasons we use to process your information
We need a good reason to collect your personal information legally. The reasons we can use to collect your information are set by the law. They are called lawful bases.
The lawful bases we use are:
- task in the public interest
- legal obligation
- consent
Where we process special category information, we do so using the lawful basis of substantial public interest (Article 9(g) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation).
Special category information is sensitive personal information that has extra protection by law. This includes things like information on a person’s health, ethnicity or religious beliefs.
Examples of information we collect, how we use it, and why
This section gives 4 examples of the personal information we collect from you.
For each example, we’ll explain:
- what personal information we collect and process
- how we use the information
- our legal reason (called a ‘lawful basis’) for collecting it
- who we share the information with
- how long we keep your information
1. You received funding from us, or are applying for funding
Personal information we collect and process
We collect and process:
- name
- phone number
- email address
- date of birth
- home address
- IP address (a number that identifies the computer or device you are using to access the internet)
- communications needs
What we use your information for
We use your information to:
- help your organisation apply for funding and to assess your applications
- carry out checks using your personal information if you apply for or get funding
- manage and monitor the funding and to check the money is being used appropriately
- research and evaluate our funding, to understand how well it has worked and its impact. The results of research and evaluation may be published but we’ll not publish your personal information without your consent
- survey your experience of services provided
- communicate with you and provide regular advice about your funding
- submit an enquiry, complaint, concern or request for information to us
- send you branded items to help you promote your project and to analyse ordering patterns
Fraud prevention and identity checks
If you apply for or get funding from us we may run checks on your personal information. This may include sharing it with fraud prevention agencies. These checks are to help prevent fraud and money laundering, and to verify your identity.
The Fund and fraud prevention agencies may also allow other organisations to access and use your personal information to detect, investigate and prevent crime.
If we, or a fraud prevention agency, find that you pose a fraud or money laundering risk, we may refuse to award you funding. And we may withdraw funding you already have.
The fraud prevention service we work with is called Cifas. You can find more information in their fair processing notices for Cifas' databases.
The lawful basis we use to process your information
The lawful bases are:
- task in the public interest
- legal obligation
Who we share your information with
There are various organisations that we may share your information with. We’ll only share the necessary personal information required for them to do the job they need to do.
We will share your information with APS Group, our contracted processor who will use your data to process and ship your order for branded items on behalf of the Fund.
Funding partners
- UK government departments
- devolved governments in the UK
- other National Lottery distributors
- other third-party organisations
Other National Lottery distributors and the National Lottery operator
We may share your information with them to help promote National Lottery funding.
Your local MP or elected representative
We may share your organisation’s contact information with your local MP or elected representative.
How long we keep your information for
We will only keep your personal information for as long as is reasonably necessary.
APS Group will retain your data for 6 months to fulfil your order for branded items.
Branded materials for England, Scotland or Northern Ireland
2. You attended a project we funded
Personal information we collect and process
If you have attended a project we funded, we may ask you to take part in an evaluation.
- your name
- your age
- the area you live in
- information on your health, ethnicity, gender and sexuality (special category information)
What we use your information for
How we use your information to evaluate our work
We normally bring in an outside organisation to evaluate our funding. They use your information to help us understand the success and impact of a project or programme.
How we use your information to promote our funding
We use personal stories and images to promote our work. We’ll always ask for your consent first.
The lawful basis we use to process your information
We use 'task in the public interest' to process evaluations.
We ask for 'consent' to process personal information for promotional activities, including images.
Who we share your information with
We share with evaluators, partners and sometimes publish anonymised data.
How long we keep your information for
Evaluation data retention depends on project privacy notice. Promotional materials kept up to seven years.
3. You are a stakeholder
What is a stakeholder
A stakeholder may be a public figure or work in a stakeholder organisation relevant to our work.
Why we talk to and collect information about stakeholders
Our policy directions require that we actively engage with stakeholder organisations.
Personal information we collect and process
- your title, name
- organisation details
- job title and role
- biographical details
- email and phone
- attendance at events
- contact history
What we use your information for
- invite to meetings/events
- share publications and consultations
- record interactions
The lawful basis we use to process your information
- task in the public interest
- consent
Who we share your information with
We do not share stakeholder data unless required by law.
How long we keep your information for
We will only hold the information for as long as is reasonably necessary.
4. You are a member of the public
What we use your information for
We might record your personal information when you:
- complete surveys
- subscribe to newsletters
- register or attend events
- submit an enquiry
Personal information we may collect and process includes:
- name
- telephone number
- email address
- communication needs
The lawful basis we use to process your information
- task in the public interest
- legal obligation
- consent
Who we share your information with
Depends on enquiry. May share with government or National Lottery distributors.
How long we keep your information for
We will only hold your personal information for as long as is reasonably necessary.
Website cookies
How we use cookies
- help the website work properly
- collect information about usage
- improve experience
Managing cookies
- block all or some cookies
- get warnings when cookies are set
Types of cookies we use
- essential cookies – needed for site to work
- non essential cookies – need your permission
For more details read our Cookies policy.
Updates to this privacy policy
We regularly review this policy and make updates when it's necessary.