Privacy Policy
Labour Friends of the Forces is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly and transparently.
This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, who we may share it with, and the rights you have in relation to your information.
Last updated: 17 August 2026
1. Who we are
This website is operated by Labour Friends of the Forces.
Organisation: Labour Friends of the Forces
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we use your personal information, you can contact us at:
Email: info@labourforces.org
Address: 22 Newton Garth, Leeds, LS7 4JZ
Telephone: 07717 145056
2. Information we collect
Depending on how you use our website and services, we may collect information including:
- Your name
- Your email address
- Your postal address
- Your telephone number, where provided
- Information provided when creating a membership account
- Your membership type
- Your Labour Party membership number, where applicable
- Information relating to your membership payment or Direct Debit status
- Information you provide when contacting us
- Your newsletter and communications preferences
- Newsletter engagement information, such as email opens or link clicks, where provided by our email service
- Technical information relating to your use of our website, such as IP address, browser and device information
3. Membership information
When you apply to become a member of Labour Friends of the Forces, we collect the information required to create and manage your membership account.
This may include your name, contact details, membership type, website account information and, where applicable, your Labour Party membership number. Information relating to your payment or Direct Debit status may also be recorded.
We use this information to process membership applications, administer membership, maintain membership records, communicate with members and provide access to member services and content.
4. Labour Party membership information
Some membership categories may require you to provide your Labour Party membership number to demonstrate your eligibility for that membership category.
Information relating to political affiliation may constitute special category personal data under UK data protection law and is therefore handled with additional care.
Labour Friends of the Forces does not currently verify Labour Party membership numbers with the Labour Party and does not share this information with the Labour Party. Access to this information is restricted to authorised individuals where required for membership administration.
If our affiliation status or the way we verify Labour Party membership changes in the future, we will review our data protection arrangements and update this Privacy Policy where appropriate.
5. Membership payments and GoCardless
Membership payments are arranged securely through GoCardless.
When you proceed to set up your membership payment, you are transferred to GoCardless to arrange your Direct Debit. Payment and bank details entered into the GoCardless payment service are processed by GoCardless in accordance with its own privacy and data protection practices.
Labour Friends of the Forces may receive information from GoCardless necessary to administer membership payments, including your name, payment status, Direct Debit status and relevant transaction information made available through GoCardless.
Access to this information is restricted to authorised Labour Friends of the Forces officers or administrators who require it for membership or financial administration.
6. Website membership accounts
If you create an account through our website, your account information is stored within our website's membership system.
We use this information to administer your account, manage your membership and, where applicable, provide access to members-only website content.
You are responsible for keeping your account login details secure.
7. Email newsletter and updates
You can choose to sign up to receive news, events, campaigns and other email updates from Labour Friends of the Forces.
When you subscribe, we may collect your name and email address. We use Mailchimp to help manage our mailing list and send email communications.
Where Mailchimp provides information about engagement with our communications, such as whether an email has been opened or a link has been clicked, we may use this information to help us understand engagement with our communications.
You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by using the unsubscribe link included in our emails.
We will keep appropriate records of newsletter subscriptions, preferences and unsubscriptions where required to respect your communications choices.
8. Contacting us
If you contact Labour Friends of the Forces through the website, by email or through another communication channel, we may collect your name, contact details and any information you provide in your message.
We use this information to respond to your enquiry and, where appropriate, maintain a record of our correspondence.
9. How we use your information
We may use personal information to:
- Create and administer membership accounts
- Process and manage membership applications
- Maintain membership records
- Confirm and administer membership payment status
- Assess eligibility for relevant membership categories
- Provide members with access to relevant services and website content
- Respond to enquiries
- Send email updates where permitted
- Operate, maintain and secure our website
- Understand how our website and communications are used
- Meet our legal and regulatory obligations
10. Our lawful bases for using personal information
UK data protection law requires us to have an appropriate lawful basis for processing personal information. The appropriate basis depends on why and how the information is being used.
Depending on the circumstances, these may include:
- Processing necessary to provide and administer membership
- Your consent, including for email or newsletter communications where required
- Our legitimate interests in administering the organisation and operating and securing our website, where those interests do not override your rights and interests
- Compliance with legal, accounting or other legal obligations
Where we process information that constitutes special category personal data, including information that may reveal political opinions or political affiliation, additional protections and requirements under UK data protection law apply.
11. Who we share information with
We do not sell your personal information.
We may use trusted service providers to help us operate our website, administer membership and communicate with members and supporters.
These may include:
- Krystal Hosting, which provides website hosting services
- GoCardless for Direct Debit and payment administration
- Mailchimp for email communications and mailing-list management
- Google, where Google Analytics and associated website services are used
- Professional advisers or technical service providers where necessary
- Authorities or regulators where we are legally required to disclose information
We do not otherwise share membership or supporter information with other organisations unless this is necessary for the operation of our services, required by law or otherwise permitted under data protection law.
12. International data transfers
Our website is hosted through Krystal Hosting.
Some third-party services used by our organisation, including services used for email communications, payments and website analytics, may process or store personal information outside the United Kingdom.
Where personal information is transferred internationally, appropriate safeguards will be used where required by applicable data protection law.
13. How long we keep your information
We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including where information needs to be retained for legal, accounting, administrative or regulatory purposes.
Membership information may be retained for up to six years after membership ends where required for administrative, financial or legal record-keeping purposes.
Information relating to contact enquiries will normally be retained for up to two years after the enquiry has been resolved, unless there is a legitimate reason to retain the correspondence for longer.
When somebody unsubscribes from our newsletter, they are removed from active marketing communications. We may retain the minimum information necessary to maintain an unsubscribe or suppression record so that their preference continues to be respected.
14. Cookies and website analytics
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies that may be necessary for the website to function and, where enabled, to understand how visitors use the website.
We use Google Analytics, implemented through Google Site Kit, to help us understand how visitors use our website.
Where consent is legally required for analytics or other non-essential cookies or similar technologies, these technologies will not be used until you have made the appropriate choice.
We do not currently use Facebook or Meta pixels, advertising pixels or other advertising tracking technologies.
More information about the cookies used on this website will be available in our Cookie Policy.
15. Keeping your information secure
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to help protect personal information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.
Access to personal information is restricted to people who need it for legitimate organisational purposes.
16. Your data protection rights
Depending on the circumstances, UK data protection law may give you rights in relation to your personal information, including the right to:
- Ask for access to the personal information we hold about you
- Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information
- Ask us to delete your information in certain circumstances
- Ask us to restrict how your information is used in certain circumstances
- Object to certain uses of your personal information
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
- Request transfer of certain information where applicable
You also have the right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing.
To exercise your rights, please contact us using the details given in this Privacy Policy.
17. Email marketing and unsubscribing
You can ask us to stop sending you marketing or campaign emails at any time. The easiest way to do this is to use the unsubscribe link included in our emails.
We may retain limited information about your opt-out so that we can make sure your preference continues to be respected.
18. Complaints
If you have concerns about how Labour Friends of the Forces handles your personal information, please contact us first so that we have an opportunity to investigate and respond.
You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator.
19. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services, website, legal obligations or the way we use personal information.
When we make significant changes, we will update the date shown at the top of this page.
20. Contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is used, please contact:
Labour Friends of the Forces
22 Newton Garth
Leeds
LS7 4JZ
Telephone: 07717 145056
Email: info@labourforces.org
