Privacy Policy

Falkirk Islamic Centre respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and share personal information when you:

• visit our website;
• contact us or submit an online form;
• register for an event, class or programme;
• request a service or support;
• make a donation;
• volunteer with us;
• subscribe to communications;
• attend an activity organised by the Centre; or
• otherwise interact with Falkirk Islamic Centre.

Who we are

Falkirk Islamic Centre is the organisation responsible for deciding how and why your personal information is used. This means that we are the data controller for the purposes of UK data-protection law.

Questions about this Privacy Policy or how we use personal information should be sent to the email or postal address above.

The personal information we collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us.

Information you provide directly

This may include:

• your name;
• postal address;
• email address;
• telephone number;
• date of birth or age;
• gender, where relevant to a service or activity;
• emergency-contact details;
• details about your parent, guardian, child or other family members;
• event, class or programme registrations;
• donation details and payment references;
• Gift Aid information, where applicable;
• volunteering information;
• messages, questions and correspondence;
• information provided in service or support requests;
• appointment or booking details;
• photographs, videos or audio recordings;
• accessibility or dietary requirements; and
• any other information you choose to provide.

Sensitive personal information

Some services may require information that UK data-protection law treats as particularly sensitive, known as special-category personal data.

This may include information about:

• religious or philosophical beliefs;
• racial or ethnic background;
• physical or mental health;
• disabilities or accessibility needs;
• sexual life or sexual orientation, where relevant to a confidential enquiry;
• safeguarding concerns; or
• other sensitive personal circumstances.

Please only provide sensitive information when it is relevant and necessary for your enquiry or the service you are requesting.

Information collected automatically

When you visit our website, we or our technical service providers may collect:

• your IP address;
• browser type and version;
• device type;
• operating system;
• approximate location derived from your IP address;
• pages visited;
• referring website;
• dates and times of visits;
• website interaction and error information; and
• cookie or similar technology identifiers.

When you choose to receive notifications through the FIC mobile app, we may also collect:

• an anonymous app-installation identifier;
• an encrypted push-notification token;
• whether the device uses iOS or Android;
• app version, language and time zone information;
• the notification categories you choose; and
• technical delivery and error records.

This information is not linked to an FIC account, name, email address or advertising identifier. It is used only to deliver and maintain the notifications you request. Push delivery is provided through Expo and the notification services operated by Apple or Google.

More information is available in our Cookie Policy.

Information received from other people

We may receive information about you from:

• a parent, guardian or family member;
• another mosque, charity or community organisation;
• a referral agency;
• a professional or public authority;
• a payment provider;
• an event organiser;
• a volunteer or member of staff; or
• another person contacting us on your behalf.

Where appropriate, the person providing information must have authority or a proper reason to share it with us.

How we use personal information

We may use personal information to:

• respond to questions and messages;
• manage service enquiries;
• provide religious, pastoral, welfare or community support;
• administer marriage, funeral, education or other Centre services;
• organise events, classes and programmes;
• process registrations, attendance and waiting lists;
• communicate changes, cancellations or important information;
• administer donations and Gift Aid;
• maintain financial and charity records;
• recruit, organise and support volunteers;
• manage memberships or mailing lists;
• maintain safeguarding and incident records;
• protect the safety and welfare of visitors, volunteers and service users;
• handle complaints and feedback;
• produce anonymised statistics and reports;
• improve our website, activities and services;
• prevent fraud, misuse and security incidents;
• comply with our legal, regulatory and charity-governance obligations;
• establish, exercise or defend legal claims; and
• maintain appropriate records of the Centre’s work.

We will not use your information for a purpose that is incompatible with the reason it was collected unless this is permitted or required by law.

Our lawful bases

UK data-protection law requires us to have a lawful basis for each use of personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on the following bases.

Legitimate interests

We may process information where it is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of another person, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights.

These interests may include:

• operating the Centre and its website;
• responding to enquiries;
• delivering charitable, religious and community services;
• organising events and programmes;
• keeping proportionate administrative records;
• improving our services;
• ensuring security;
• preventing fraud or misuse; and
• communicating with people who reasonably expect to hear from us.

We consider the necessity and potential effect on individuals before relying on legitimate interests.

Contract

We may process information where it is necessary to:

• provide a service you have requested;
• administer a paid booking or activity;
• fulfil an agreement with you; or
• take steps at your request before entering into an agreement.

Legal obligation

We may process information where necessary to comply with legal duties relating to matters such as:

• charity administration;
• accounting and taxation;
• Gift Aid;
• employment and volunteering;
• health and safety;
• safeguarding;
• fraud prevention;
• court orders; or
• requests from authorities with lawful powers.

Consent

We may rely on your consent where you have been given a genuine choice, including for:

• optional email or marketing communications;
• certain non-essential cookies;
• particular uses of photographs or recordings; or
• another optional use explained to you when consent is requested.

You may withdraw consent at any time. Withdrawal will not affect processing that took place before consent was withdrawn.

Vital interests

In rare situations, we may use or disclose information where this is necessary to protect someone’s life or physical safety and the person is unable to provide consent.

Sensitive and special-category information

Where we process special-category personal data, we must have both an ordinary lawful basis and an additional condition under data-protection law.

Depending on the circumstances, we may process sensitive information because:

• you have given explicit consent;
• processing is carried out in connection with the legitimate activities of a not-for-profit body with a religious aim, with appropriate safeguards;
• it is necessary to protect someone’s vital interests;
• it is necessary for safeguarding children or individuals at risk;
• it is necessary for substantial public-interest reasons recognised by law;
• it is necessary for legal claims;
• it relates to information you have clearly made public; or
• another condition permitted by law applies.

Information processed as part of the Centre’s religious activities will not be disclosed outside the Centre without your consent unless disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law.

We will apply additional care and access controls to sensitive information.

Service and support enquiries

Forms submitted through the website may include enquiries relating to:

• marriages or nikah services;
• funerals and bereavement;
• religious questions;
• financial or welfare support;
• counselling or pastoral support;
• education and classes;
• support for new Muslims;
• volunteering;
• community concerns; or
• other Centre services.

Form submissions may be:

• stored securely within the Centre’s website administration system;
• sent by email to authorised Centre representatives;
• reviewed, marked as read, archived or deleted by authorised users; and
• added to relevant administrative records where necessary.

Access should be limited to people who require the information to handle the enquiry.

Submitting a form does not guarantee that the Centre can provide the requested service. Information may be retained where necessary to deal with the enquiry, keep an appropriate record or fulfil legal and safeguarding responsibilities.

Children and young people

We may collect information about children and young people when they:

• attend classes, activities or events;
• use Centre services;
• are included in a family or support enquiry;
• volunteer where age-appropriate; or
• appear in authorised photographs or recordings.

Depending on the child’s age, the activity and the nature of the information, we may request consent or information from a parent or guardian.

We may collect:

• the child’s name and age;
• parent or guardian contact details;
• emergency contacts;
• medical, allergy or accessibility information;
• attendance records;
• collection arrangements;
• safeguarding information; and
• relevant permissions.

We use this information to administer activities, communicate with families, protect children’s welfare and comply with safeguarding responsibilities.

Information about children receives additional protection and is only accessible to authorised individuals who need it.

Donations and payments

When you make a donation, we may collect:

• your name;
• contact details;
• donation amount;
• donation date;
• selected fund or purpose;
• transaction or payment reference;
• Gift Aid declaration and associated information;
• communication preferences; and
• any message submitted with the donation.

Payments are normally processed by an external payment provider. Falkirk Islamic Centre does not ordinarily receive or store your complete debit-card or credit-card details.

Payment providers process payment information under their own privacy notices and security arrangements.

We use donation information to:

• process and record donations;
• issue confirmations or receipts;
• manage restricted funds;
• claim Gift Aid where authorised;
• meet accounting, tax and charity-law requirements;
• prevent fraud; and
• respond to donation enquiries.

Financial and Gift Aid records may be retained for the period required by tax, accounting and charity law.

Email and communications

When you contact us, submit a form or register for an activity, we may send messages necessary to deal with your request.

These may include:

• confirmation messages;
• responses to your enquiry;
• appointment information;
• changes to an event or service;
• safeguarding or welfare communications;
• payment or donation confirmations; and
• other administrative messages.

These are service communications and are not necessarily marketing.

We will only send optional promotional or general mailing-list communications where we have an appropriate lawful basis. Where consent is required, you can unsubscribe or withdraw consent at any time.

Website emails may pass through an email-delivery or SMTP service and may be stored in the Centre’s email accounts.

Cookies and website analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• make the website function;
• maintain security;
• remember preferences;
• understand website performance;
• identify and resolve errors;
• measure website use; and
• display content provided by third parties.

Cookies that are not strictly necessary will only be used where the required permission has been obtained.

Please see our Cookie Policy for further information about the cookies and services currently used and how to change your preferences.

Embedded and third-party content

The website may include content or services provided by third parties, such as:

• maps;
• videos or audio players;
• social-media content;
• payment forms;
• event tools;
• spam-prevention services; or
• website analytics.

When you interact with this content, the third party may collect information such as your IP address, device information, cookie identifiers and interaction data.

We use Google reCAPTCHA on public submission forms to help detect spam and automated abuse. Its use is subject to Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Third parties are responsible for their own use of personal information where they act as separate data controllers. You should review their privacy information where appropriate.

We will seek consent before loading non-essential third-party content where consent is legally required.

Who we share information with

We do not sell personal information.

We may share information where necessary with:

• authorised trustees, staff members and volunteers;
• website hosting and maintenance providers;
• email, communications and cloud-storage providers;
• payment processors and banks;
• accountants, auditors and professional advisers;
• event, course or service providers;
• safeguarding professionals or designated safeguarding leads;
• referral organisations, where appropriate and lawful;
• HM Revenue and Customs;
• OSCR or other regulators;
• law-enforcement agencies;
• courts and legal representatives;
• local authorities, health services or emergency services; and
• other organisations where disclosure is required or permitted by law.

We only share information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

Service providers acting on our behalf must only process information according to our instructions, keep it secure and comply with applicable data-protection requirements.

Safeguarding and confidential information

We take confidentiality seriously, but confidentiality cannot always be absolute.

We may disclose relevant information without consent where we reasonably believe that:

• a child or adult may be at risk of harm;
• someone’s life or physical safety is at risk;
• a serious crime may have occurred;
• disclosure is required by law or court order; or
• another substantial safeguarding or public-interest reason applies.

Where possible and appropriate, we will explain a disclosure before making it. However, we may not do so where this could increase risk, prejudice an investigation or be unlawful.

Only information that is relevant and proportionate should be shared.

International transfers

Some of our technology providers may store or access information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that an appropriate legal safeguard is in place. Depending on the destination and provider, this may include:

• a UK adequacy regulation;
• approved contractual protections;
• the UK International Data Transfer Agreement;
• the UK Addendum to approved contractual clauses; or
• another safeguard permitted by law.

Further information about relevant safeguards can be requested from us.

How long we keep information

We retain personal information only for as long as it is reasonably required for the purpose for which it was collected and to meet any legal, accounting, safeguarding or reporting responsibilities.

The appropriate retention period depends on the type of record and may include the following general periods:

General enquiries

Routine enquiries that do not lead to an ongoing service will normally be deleted or anonymised within 12 months after the matter is closed.

Service enquiries and administrative records

Records relating to services, bookings or support may normally be kept for up to six years after the matter ends where an appropriate administrative or legal record is needed.

Less significant enquiries may be deleted earlier.

Event and class registrations

Routine registration and attendance information will normally be retained for up to 12 months after the event or programme ends, unless a longer period is needed for safeguarding, finance, certification, dispute or insurance purposes.

Donation, Gift Aid and financial records

Donation, Gift Aid, accounting and transaction records will normally be retained for at least six years after the end of the relevant financial or accounting period, or longer where legally required.

Safeguarding records

Safeguarding records may need to be retained for significantly longer periods according to applicable law, statutory guidance, insurance requirements and the Centre’s safeguarding policy.

Complaints, incidents and legal matters

Records may be retained for as long as necessary to investigate and resolve the matter and for an appropriate period afterwards in case of legal claims, regulatory enquiries or related concerns.

Mailing lists

We retain mailing-list information until you unsubscribe, withdraw consent or we determine that the information is no longer current or required.

Mobile app notifications

Your app installation record is removed when you turn off every remote-notification category. Inactive installation records and device-level delivery records are normally removed after 90 days. Non-personal broadcast audit records may be kept for up to 12 months for operational accountability.

Technical records

Website security logs, backups and technical records may be retained for shorter operational periods unless they are needed to investigate a security incident or misuse.

When information is no longer needed, we will securely delete it, anonymise it or place it beyond routine use until deletion from backups.

How we protect personal information

We use reasonable organisational and technical measures intended to protect personal information.

These may include:

• restricting administrative access;
• using individual user accounts;
• strong passwords and authentication controls;
• limiting access according to role;
• website and server security measures;
• encrypted connections;
• software updates and maintenance;
• secure backups;
• confidentiality expectations for trustees, staff and volunteers; and
• procedures for handling data breaches.

No website, email system or internet transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You should avoid sending unnecessary sensitive information through general email or forms that do not request it.

Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• access personal information we hold about you;
• ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• ask us to delete your information;
• ask us to restrict how your information is used;
• object to processing based on legitimate interests;
• receive certain information in a portable format;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
• object to direct marketing; and
• challenge certain decisions made solely by automated means.

These rights are not absolute. In some cases, the law allows or requires us to retain information or continue processing it.

To exercise a right, contact:

Email: info@falkirkislamiccentre.org

Please describe your request clearly. We may ask for information needed to confirm your identity and locate the relevant records.

We will normally respond within one month, although the law may permit additional time for complex or numerous requests.

You will not normally be charged for exercising your rights. However, a reasonable fee may be charged, or a request refused, where permitted by law—for example, if a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.

Complaints

Please contact us first if you have concerns about how we have handled your personal information. We will take the concern seriously and try to resolve it.

You also have the right to complain to the UK’s data-protection regulator:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113 Website: ico.org.uk

You may contact the ICO without complaining to us first, although the ICO may recommend that you raise the matter with us initially.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to websites operated by other organisations.

This Privacy Policy only applies to Falkirk Islamic Centre. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, security or content of external websites.

You should read the privacy policy of any external website you visit.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when:

• our website or services change;
• we introduce a new system or provider;
• our information-handling practices change; or
• legal or regulatory requirements change.

The current version will be published on this page with its latest revision date.

Where a change significantly affects how we use information already collected, we will take reasonable steps to bring it to the attention of affected individuals where required.

Contact us

Questions, requests or concerns relating to this Privacy Policy should be sent to: