Privacy Policy
At The Queen’s Reading Room (formerly The Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room), we want everyone who engages with us to feel confident that their personal information is treated with care and respect. We only collect information we genuinely need, we never sell it, and we always want to be clear about how and why we use it. Your trust matters to us, and we are committed to protecting your privacy.
The Queen’s Reading Room, registered correspondence address: C/O Wedlake Bell, 8th Floor, 71 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4AY. Registered charity number 1201916.
Who we are
The Queen’s Reading Room (“we”, “us”, “our”) is the data controller for your personal information. If you have any questions about this policy or how we use your data, you can contact us at info@thequeensreadingroom.co.uk.
What personal data we collect
We may collect and process:
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Your name and contact details (postal address, email address, telephone number), when you sign up to receive our newsletter, make an enquiry, register for an event, donate, or otherwise contact us.
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Your communication and contact preferences.
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Information you provide about your interests (for example reading preferences).
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Limited publicly-available information in cases where we carry out supporter research (see below).
How and why we use your personal data
We use your data to:
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Send newsletters and updates
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Manage event invitations
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Administer donations
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Maintain supporter records
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Invite supporters to fundraising events
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Share information on our fundraising campaigns
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Tailor our communications
Supporter research
We sometimes carry out limited supporter research (also known as “prospect research”) using publicly available information. This helps us understand whether someone may have a
connection to our work and ensures we approach people considerately and appropriately.
Any research we carry out is proportionate, carefully assessed, and designed to support responsible fundraising in line with data-protection law and the Fundraising Code of Practice. If we expand the way we carry out supporter research in the future, we will update this policy to explain clearly what we do and why.
We do not carry out intrusive profiling or automated decision-making. You can ask us to stop using your information for supporter research at any time by contacting info@thequeensreadingroom.co.uk.
We will only process your data for the above purposes, and in line with your stated preferences.
Lawful bases for processing
We rely on the following lawful bases under UK data-protection law:
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Consent – for example when you sign up to receive our newsletter or opt in to receive specific types of communications.
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Legitimate interest – for supporter administration, event and donation management, stewardship and supporter engagement, fundraising communications (including postal or email invites), limited prospect research using publicly available data, and due diligence where needed.
We comply with Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) when sending electronic communications, and you can opt out of receiving these at any time.
Who we share your data with
We may share your data with third-party service providers acting on our behalf, for example, email marketing platforms, event-booking providers, payment or donation processors, and IT service providers.
We only share what is strictly necessary, under clearly defined contract, and we never sell your data.
Some of our service providers may process personal data outside the UK. Where this happens, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as UK adequacy regulations or standard contractual clauses, to protect your personal data.
How long we keep your data
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Contact lists (for newsletters or marketing): until you unsubscribe or otherwise ask us to remove your data.
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Donation / financial records: for a minimum period in line with good administrative and audit practice (e.g. 6 years).
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Supporter research / prospect-research data: only for as long as needed to fulfil its purpose; we review and delete data no longer required.
Your rights
You have the right under UK data law to access any personal data we hold about you, request correction of inaccuracies, request erasure, restrict processing, object to processing (especially for direct marketing), and request data portability where relevant. Where we rely on your consent to process your personal data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.
If you wish to exercise any of these rights, or have concerns, please contact us at info@thequeensreadingroom.co.uk.
Your choices about fundraising communications
You can change your communication preferences or opt out of receiving fundraising communications at any time. Our email newsletters and other bulk emails include an unsubscribe link. You can also contact us at info@thequeensreadingroom.co.uk to update your preferences at any point.
How to complain
If you ever have concerns about how we use your personal information, we encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve the matter quickly and fairly.
You can reach us at info@thequeensreadingroom.co.uk.
If you remain unhappy after speaking with us, you can raise the matter with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF
Helpline: 0303 123 1113
Website: https://www.ico.org.uk
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