Last updated: 30/09/2026
1. Who we are
Grozone is managed by Groundwork Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside (“Groundwork CLM”, “we”, “us” or “our”).
This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, store and share personal information in connection with the management and delivery of Grozone community activities, our website, communications, events, activities, community engagement and related services.
For the purposes of applicable UK data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (“UK GDPR”), the Data Protection Act 2018 and other applicable data protection legislation, the data controller is:
Groundwork Cheshire, Lancashire & Merseyside
74–80 Hallgate
Wigan
WN1 1HP
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01942 821 444
ICO registration number: Z324664X
Where another organisation determines jointly with us how and why personal information is used, that organisation may also be a controller or joint controller. Where relevant, we will provide further information about the respective responsibilities of the organisations involved.
2. What personal information we collect
The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with us. It may include:
- your name;
- your email address;
- your telephone or mobile number;
- your communication preferences;
- records of correspondence and communications with us;
- information you provide through forms, surveys, consultations or feedback;
- event registration and attendance information;
- information about your interests in Grozone activities, events, projects and community initiatives;
- information you provide when taking part in community activities or programmes;
- photographs or video footage where appropriate and lawful;
- website usage and technical information, such as IP address, browser type, device information and cookie data, where collected; and
- any other personal information you choose to provide to us.
We aim to collect only the personal information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.
We do not routinely seek to collect special category personal data, such as information about health, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic or biometric data, or information about sex life or sexual orientation. If we need to process such information, we will only do so where we have both a lawful basis and an additional condition permitted by law.
Where information about children or young people is collected in connection with Grozone activities, we will take appropriate steps to handle that information fairly, lawfully and transparently, taking account of the additional considerations that apply to children’s personal information.
3. How we collect personal information
We may collect personal information directly from you when you:
- contact us by email, telephone, post or through our website;
- register for or attend a Grozone event, activity, workshop or community session;
- subscribe to our newsletter or other communications;
- complete an online or paper form;
- provide feedback or make an enquiry or complaint;
- take part in a survey, consultation or community engagement activity;
- participate in a Grozone project, programme or activity; or
- otherwise communicate or engage with us.
We may also receive personal information from other sources where lawful and appropriate, including:
- organisations involved in delivering Grozone activities;
- local authorities and other public bodies;
- partner organisations;
- event, booking, survey and communications platforms;
- organisations supporting the delivery of community activities; and
- other third parties where there is a lawful basis for the disclosure.
Where we obtain personal information from another source, we will provide privacy information where required by law.
4. Why we use personal information and our lawful bases
We only use personal information where we have a lawful basis for doing so. The lawful basis depends on the purpose for which the information is used.
Community activities and engagement
We may use personal information to:
- manage and deliver Grozone activities, projects and services;
- communicate with people who take part in or have an interest in Grozone;
- organise and administer community activities and programmes;
- understand community needs and interests;
- gather feedback and evaluate activities;
- provide information about Grozone projects, services, activities and initiatives; and
- support the effective management, monitoring and evaluation of Grozone activity.
Lawful basis: our legitimate interests in managing and delivering community activities and services, maintaining effective relationships with participants and stakeholders, improving our services and supporting the objectives of Grozone.
Where appropriate, we may rely on consent or another lawful basis depending on the circumstances.
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the necessity of the processing and balance our interests against the rights and interests of the individuals concerned.
Newsletters, e-bulletins and other communications
We may use personal information to send:
- Grozone news and updates;
- information about community activities and events;
- information about opportunities to participate in local activities;
- project and programme updates;
- relevant community information; and
- other communications relating to Grozone that may be of interest to you.
Lawful basis: depending on the circumstances, consent or our legitimate interests.
Where electronic direct marketing rules apply, we will also comply with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (“PECR”) and other applicable legislation.
Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time. You can unsubscribe from marketing emails by using the unsubscribe link included in the communication or by contacting us.
Enquiries and requests
We may use personal information to respond to enquiries, requests for information and other communications.
Lawful basis: our legitimate interests in responding to enquiries and managing relationships, taking steps at your request before entering into a contract, performance of a contract, or compliance with a legal obligation, depending on the circumstances.
Events and activities
We may use personal information to:
- manage event and activity registrations;
- communicate with attendees and participants;
- administer attendance;
- deliver events, activities, workshops and community sessions;
- gather feedback;
- make appropriate arrangements for participation where information has been provided for that purpose; and
- manage appropriate follow-up communications.
Lawful basis: depending on the circumstances, performance of a contract, legitimate interests, compliance with a legal obligation or consent.
Where an event or activity requires information about health, accessibility, dietary requirements or other potentially sensitive information, we will only collect and use such information where necessary and where we have an appropriate lawful basis and additional condition under data protection law.
Surveys, consultations and feedback
We may use personal information to conduct surveys, consultations and engagement activities, analyse responses and improve Grozone activities and services.
Lawful basis: our legitimate interests in understanding community views, evaluating activities and improving services, or consent where appropriate.
Where possible, survey and consultation findings will be anonymised or aggregated before wider reporting.
Legal, regulatory and governance purposes
We may use personal information where necessary to:
- comply with legal and regulatory requirements;
- maintain appropriate records;
- establish, exercise or defend legal claims;
- prevent or investigate misuse, fraud or other unlawful activity;
- respond to lawful requests from regulators, courts or public authorities; and
- protect our rights, property, systems and services.
Lawful basis: compliance with a legal obligation and/or our legitimate interests in protecting our organisation and managing legal and regulatory matters.
5. Our legitimate interests
Where we rely on legitimate interests, these may include:
- effectively managing and delivering Grozone activities and services;
- maintaining appropriate relationships with participants, community groups, partners and stakeholders;
- keeping relevant people informed about Grozone activities;
- understanding community needs and improving services;
- promoting relevant opportunities, activities and initiatives;
- maintaining accurate records;
- protecting our systems, services and organisation;
- preventing misuse and addressing security concerns; and
- supporting the effective administration and development of Grozone.
We will not rely on legitimate interests where our interests are overridden by your rights and interests.
6. Who we share personal information with
We do not sell personal information.
Where necessary and lawful, we may share personal information with:
- Groundwork CLM staff and authorised personnel;
- organisations involved in the management or delivery of Grozone activities;
- IT, website, hosting and technical support providers;
- email and communications service providers;
- survey and consultation platforms;
- event registration and management providers;
- professional advisers, including legal, financial, audit and insurance advisers;
- contractors and service providers working on our behalf;
- partner organisations where necessary for a specific project or service;
- local authorities or other public bodies where there is a lawful basis to do so;
- regulators, courts, law enforcement agencies or other authorities where required or permitted by law; and
- other parties where you have asked us to share information or have provided valid consent.
Where a supplier processes personal information on our behalf, we require appropriate contractual and security arrangements in accordance with applicable data protection law.
Where information is shared with another independent controller, that organisation is responsible for its own use of the personal information and should provide appropriate privacy information.
7. Service providers and online platforms
We may use third-party platforms and service providers to support our activities, for example for:
- email communications;
- newsletters;
- event bookings and registrations;
- website hosting;
- document storage;
- analytics;
- surveys and feedback; and
- other services necessary to operate and deliver the Grozone website and activities.
Where third-party providers process personal information on our behalf, we will take appropriate steps to ensure that suitable contractual and security arrangements are in place.
The specific providers used may change from time to time as our website and services develop.
Where a third-party provider acts as an independent controller, its own privacy policy may also apply.
8. International transfers
Some of our service providers may process or store personal information outside the United Kingdom.
Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will ensure that the transfer is lawful and that appropriate safeguards are used where required.
Depending on the circumstances, these may include:
- transfers to countries covered by UK adequacy regulations;
- the UK International Data Transfer Agreement;
- the UK Addendum to approved standard contractual clauses; or
- another lawful transfer mechanism permitted under UK data protection law.
Where required, we will also consider the risks associated with the transfer and apply additional safeguards where appropriate.
You may contact us using the details in this notice if you would like further information about the safeguards relevant to a particular transfer.
9. How long we keep personal information
We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to meet legal, regulatory, accounting, contractual and reporting requirements.
Our retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the reason for processing it.
For example:
- newsletter and marketing records: normally retained while you remain subscribed and for a reasonable period afterwards to maintain suppression records and demonstrate compliance;
- enquiry and correspondence records: normally retained for up to 3 years from the end of the relevant matter;
- event and activity records: normally retained for up to 3 years after the relevant event or activity, unless a longer period is required for legal, funding, safeguarding or reporting purposes;
- project and programme records: retained for the period required by the relevant project, funding agreement or reporting requirements; and
- financial and accounting records: retained for as long as required by law.
When deciding how long to retain personal information, we consider:
- the purpose for which it was collected;
- the amount, nature and sensitivity of the information;
- legal and regulatory requirements;
- contractual and funding requirements;
- relevant limitation periods;
- the risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure; and
- whether the purpose can be achieved using anonymised information.
When personal information is no longer required, we will securely delete, destroy or anonymise it.
10. How we protect personal information
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against:
- unauthorised access;
- accidental or unlawful loss;
- misuse;
- alteration;
- disclosure; and
- destruction.
Measures may include access controls, password protection, secure systems, staff training, appropriate contractual arrangements, backups and other safeguards proportionate to the risks involved.
However, no method of transmitting or storing information is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Your data protection rights
Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis on which we rely, you may have the right to:
- be informed about how your personal information is used;
- request access to the personal information we hold about you;
- request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information;
- request deletion of your personal information in certain circumstances;
- request restriction of processing in certain circumstances;
- object to processing in certain circumstances, including certain processing based on legitimate interests;
- object to direct marketing at any time;
- request data portability in certain circumstances;
- withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal; and
- raise concerns or make a complaint about how we use your personal information.
These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal conditions, limitations or exemptions.
We will not usually charge a fee for exercising your data protection rights. We may ask for information reasonably necessary to verify your identity before responding to a request.
To exercise your rights, contact us using the details in section 14.
12. Automated decision-making
We do not make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects about individuals based solely on automated processing.
13. Cookies and website analytics
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:
- enable essential website functions;
- remember preferences;
- understand how visitors use the website;
- improve website performance; and
- support other functions where permitted by law.
Where required, we will ask for consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device.
For more information about the cookies used on the Grozone website and how you can manage your preferences, please see our Cookie Policy.
14. How to contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Notice, wish to exercise your data protection rights, or wish to raise a concern or complaint about our use of your personal information, please contact:
Groundwork Cheshire, Lancashire & Merseyside
74–80 Hallgate
Wigan
WN1 1HP
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01942 821 444
ICO registration number: Z324664X
15. Complaints
If you have concerns about how we have used your personal information, we would encourage you to contact us in the first instance so that we can try to resolve your concern.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent supervisory authority for data protection.
You can find further information about making a complaint on the ICO’s website.
16. Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to other websites, services or organisations.
This Privacy Notice applies only to the Grozone website and the processing of personal information by us.
If you follow a link to another website, you should review that organisation’s own privacy notice or policy. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content or security of third-party websites.
17. Changes to this Privacy Notice
We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes to our activities, services, technology or legal and regulatory requirements.
Any updated version will be published on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.
We recommend that you check this page periodically for the latest information about how we use personal information.