PRIVACY POLICY

Last updated: 8 June 2025

Welcome to Veterans Support Northern Ireland. We are committed to respecting your privacy and protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, how long we retain it, and your rights in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Who We Are

We are Veterans Support Northern Ireland (also known as AA Veterans Support), a registered charity based in Belfast. We act as the Data Controller for any personal information you provide through our website.

Contact details:

Address: Unit C3, Edenderry Industrial Estate, Belfast, BT14 7EE
Email: info@aavsni.com
Phone: 028 9074 7071

What We Collect and Why

We may collect the following types of personal data:

1. Information You Provide Directly

Contact details (e.g. name, phone number, email address)
Information submitted via website forms (e.g. volunteering, events, support requests)
Donation details (if applicable, such as name and contact info)

Purpose: To provide services, respond to enquiries, manage participation, process donations, and keep records.

2. Automatically Collected Information

Site usage data (e.g. IP address, browser type, pages visited, time spent)
Device information and cookies

Purpose: To improve website performance, ensure site security, and analyse user behaviour.

3. Third-Party Information

We may receive personal data from services such as:

Wix (our website platform)
Google Analytics (site usage)
Payment providers (if applicable)

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on one or more of the following:

Your consent
Performance of a contract (e.g. donation or support services)
Legitimate interests (e.g. analytics, communications, fraud prevention)
Legal obligations (e.g. for accounting or safeguarding)

Data Retention

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy. For example:

Enquiry and contact details: up to 3 years
Donation and financial records: up to 7 years (legal requirement)
Cookie/analytics data: see Cookie Policy

Data Sharing

We only share your personal data where necessary and in line with the law. Examples include:

Our website provider (Wix)
Email service and newsletter platforms (if used)
Cloud storage or backup services
Legal authorities, if required

We do not sell or rent your data.

International Data Transfers

If your personal data is transferred outside the UK (e.g. Wix servers based abroad), we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses.

Our website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience. Please see our Cookie Policy for full details and how to manage preferences.

Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

Access – request a copy of your data
Rectification – request corrections to inaccurate data
Erasure – request deletion of your data (subject to legal exemptions)
Restrict processing – request limits on how we use your data
Data portability – request a copy of your data in a transferable format
Object – object to processing based on legitimate interest
Withdraw consent – withdraw your consent at any time
Lodge a complaint – with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk

To exercise your rights, please contact info@aavsni.com.

Age Restriction

Our services are intended for individuals aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from under-18s.

External Shop

Our website links to an external shop (Veterans Support NI Online Shop). This shop operates under its own privacy and cookie policies. Please review those policies separately when using the shop.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted here and the "Last updated" date revised accordingly.