Privacy and Equal Opportunities Policy

Data Protection

As the non-profit organisation Lyme Disease UK, it is our legal duty to protect any personal information you provide us with or any information we collect about you. This data will not be disclosed to anyone outside Lyme Disease UK without your permission unless we are under legal obligation to do so.

Privacy Policy

When do we collect information?

We obtain personal information from you in numerous ways including when you make a donation, engage in fundraising, fill out any online forms on our website, submit a case study to us, request awareness materials or other items on offer, volunteer with us, email us, phone members of our team or take part in any surveys we run.

Please note that if you upload photos, videos, posts and comments on our Online Community on Facebook, the information can be read by anyone with access to the Community and used for purposes over which LDUK may not have control. Therefore, LDUK is not responsible for any information you submit to the Online Community on Facebook. Our admin team monitors adherence to our Community rules which can be found in the pinned post of our Online Community. These rules include the request that members do not share information outside of the Community but Community members post at their own risk.

What information do we hold?

Information Lyme Disease UK holds could include anything you have shared with us by email, online forms or via our donate link such as:

  • Your name
  • Your email address
  • Your date of birth
  • Medical information you have sent us
  • Photographs you have sent us
  • Financial information provided when donating to LDUK
  • Opinions shared in surveys

How do we use this information?

We will only use your personal information to provide you with items you have requested, for administration purposes and for furthering the work of Lyme Disease UK. For example:

  • responding to correspondence you have sent;
  • processing a donation you have made;
  • sending you information and news if requested;
  • asking for your input to consultations or media enquiries;
  • data analysis and research

We will not use your data for any other reason than the purpose for which it is intended. We will never pass your name, address or contact details to third parties without your consent.

How do we protect personal information?

We do everything we can to ensure that the information disclosed to us is kept secure and only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it is used. Please ensure your computer or mobile device is secure. Communication with LDUK is at your own risk. We do our best to ensure that your data is protected but we cannot guarantee the safety of the data you email us from your personal devices. For any external and embedded links featured on the LDUK website, clicking on them is the same as visiting those external sites and it is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with those websites’ own privacy policies to find out what data they may collect.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics tracking cookies to collect anonymous traffic data about your use of this website. This information is stored by Google and subject to their privacy policy, which can be viewed here. Google Analytics collects information such as pages you visit on this site, the browser and operating system you use and time spent viewing pages. The purpose of this information is to help us improve the site for future visitors.

Consent

By providing us with your personal data, you consent to the collection and use of any information you provide in accordance with the above purposes and this privacy policy.

What rights you have over your data

If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

If you would like to request erasure of any data we may hold about you or if you have any queries about data protection, please email admin@lymediseaseuk.com

This privacy policy may change over time but the applicable version will always be available on this website.

Please see our website Terms and Conditions here.

Equal Opportunities Policy

Introduction

The aim of this policy is to ensure that equal opportunities practice is reflected  throughout the activities of Lyme Disease UK.

The charity and its Online Community fully support the principle of equal opportunities and no job applicant, freelancer, trustee, volunteer, supporter or organisation/individual to which we provide services will be discriminated against by us on the grounds of:

  • age
  • disability
  • ethnic or national origin
  • HIV status
  • marital status
  • nationality (including citizenship)
  • race
  • religion
  • sex
  • sexual orientation

We are opposed to all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination and no form of intimidation, bullying or harassment will be tolerated. Decisions about recruitment and selection, promotion, training or any other benefit will be made objectively and without unlawful discrimination. Actions taken in relation to the charity’s objects will be for the benefit of all.

Lyme Disease UK is committed to creating an environment in which individual differences and the contributions of our trustees, freelancers, volunteers, supporters and beneficiaries are recognised and valued. Our Equal Opportunities Policy will help all those who are involved with us to develop their full potential and the talents and resources of individuals will be utilised to maximum effect for the benefit of the charity and community.

To whom does the policy apply?

This Equal Opportunities Policy applies to all those who work with the charity and who is part of the LDUK community, including:

  • Job applicants and potential applicants
  • Freelancers
  • Board of trustees
  • Volunteers
  • Those commissioned to do work on behalf of the charity

 Equality Commitments

We are committed to:

  • Promoting equality of opportunity for all persons.
  • Promoting a good and harmonious working environment in which all people are treated with respect.
  • Preventing occurrences of unlawful direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment, and victimisation.
  • Fulfilling all our legal obligations under equal opportunities legislation and associated codes of practice
  • Complying with our own equal opportunities policy.
  • Taking lawful affirmative or positive action, where appropriate
  • • Regarding all breaches of this equal opportunities policy, and all instances of actual or alleged inappropriate behaviour, as misconduct which will be fully investigated.

Implementation

The board of trustees has overall responsibility for the effective implementation of this policy and all members, employees and volunteers are responsible for  ensuring that their own conduct, in the exercise of the group affairs, is  consistent with its content.

In order to implement this policy we will:

  • Treat all community members, freelancers (whether part-time, full-time or temporary),volunteers, supporters and beneficiaries fairly and with dignity and respect.
    • Ensure that actions taken in relation to the Charity’s objects are for the benefit of all.
  • Take all selection decisions on freelancing/volunteering, training, promotion, pay and career management based solely on objective criteria relating to aptitude and ability.

All trustees, freelancers and volunteers are responsible for ensuring that their own  conduct, in the exercise of the group affairs, is consistent with this equal  opportunities policy. In particular they must not:

  1. Discriminate against freelancers or job applicants, or harass them;
  2. Induce, or attempt to induce, other freelancers or trustees to practice unlawful discrimination;
  3. Victimise individuals who have made allegations or complaints of discrimination, or provided information about such discrimination

Trustees are expected to set an example in non-discriminatory behaviour and to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that freelancers act in accordance with this policy.

The Charity will treat seriously any breaches of this policy and all instances of  actual, or alleged inappropriate behaviour, will be fully investigated.

Grievances concerning discrimination will be investigated in accordance with the Charity’s normal Complaints Procedure.

This policy will be communicated to all existing trustees, freelancers and volunteers and will be included in the induction process for those joining the Charity and Online Community. It will also be published on the Group’s website.

Dated adopted: 26/02/2019

Review date: 02/02/2023