Common Ground Connections Privacy Notice

Effective date: 08/03/2026

At Common Ground Connections (“we”, “our”, “us”), your privacy matters. This notice explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you interact with our services, website, events, or communications.

1. Contact Details

Email: contact@cgconnections.org

You can use these details to ask about your data, make a request, or raise a concern.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect personal data to provide, manage, and improve our services, events, and communications. Types of data include:

• Identity and contact information: name, email, phone, postal address
• Event participation information: registration details, attendance, preferences, feedback
• Website and app usage data: IP addresses, pages visited, interactions with our content
• Communications: emails, messages, or social media interactions you send us
• Other data: information you provide voluntarily via forms, surveys, or social media

3. Sources of Personal Data

We obtain personal data:

• Directly from you (e.g., registration forms, surveys, emails)
• From publicly available sources (where relevant)
• From service partners or collaborators (only when necessary for service delivery)

4. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data to:

• Deliver and manage our services and events
• Respond to enquiries, complaints, or requests
• Send newsletters, updates, or marketing communications (with your consent)
• Analyse usage to improve our website and services
• Conduct evaluations or research for service improvement

We only process your data where we have a legal basis, such as your consent, the performance of a contract, or our legitimate interests.

5. Lawful Bases for Processing

Providing services/events - Consent/Legitimate interests/Contractual necessity - Required to deliver services you sign up for/that are being delivered in your neighbourhood

Responding to enquiries/complaints - Legitimate interests/Consent - Helps us manage requests and improve services

Marketing communications - Consent - You can withdraw at any time

Research, evaluation, archiving - Legitimate interests - Improves future projects and services

Website analytics - Legitimate interests - Helps improve website experience

More details on lawful bases can be found on the ICO website: https://ico.org.uk/

6. Data Retention

We keep your personal data only as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, or to comply with legal obligations. Typical retention periods:

• Event registration/participation: up to 2 years after the event
• Marketing consent: until you withdraw consent
• Enquiries or complaints: 6 years

7. Sharing Your Data

We may share your personal data with:

• Service providers who help deliver services (e.g., IT, email, website hosting)
• Regulatory or legal authorities when required by law
• Event partners or collaborators (only necessary information for event delivery)

We do not sell your personal data.

8. International Transfers

Some service providers may process personal data outside the UK. We ensure:

• The country has an adequate level of protection, or
• Appropriate safeguards are in place (standard contractual clauses or equivalent)

Example: our website/email hosting provider is in Germany and complies with UK GDPR.

9. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access your data – request copies of personal information we hold
• Correct your data – update inaccurate or incomplete information
• Delete your data – ask us to remove your personal data
• Restrict processing – limit how we use your data
• Object to processing – opt out of certain types of processing (e.g., marketing)
• Data portability – receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent

We will respond to requests without undue delay and within one month.

10. Cookies and Tracking

Our website uses cookies to:

• Improve user experience
• Analyse usage
• Deliver relevant content

You can manage cookies through your browser settings.

11. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your data:

1. Contact us using the details above
2. If unresolved, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

ICO contact details:

Address: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Helpline: 0303 123 1113

Website: https://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint

12. Updates to This Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice occasionally. Updates will be posted on our website with a new effective date.