Privacy Policy

At The Sharing Shelf Food Hub CIC, we are committed to respecting and protecting the privacy of everyone who uses our website or engages with our work. This policy outlines how we collect, use and store your personal information, and explains your rights in relation to the data you share with us.

By using our website, contacting us or submitting personal details through any of our forms, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Who We Are

The Sharing Shelf Food Hub CIC is a community interest company based at St Mark’s Church, Millfield, Sunderland. Our mission is to support individuals and families in crisis through emergency food provision, wellbeing activities and community outreach. We collect and use data only when necessary to provide these services and support our charitable aims.

2. What Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of personal data:

Name, address and contact details (email address, phone number)
Information submitted when applying to volunteer, request support or make a donation
Technical data such as your IP address, browser type or device information when you use our website
Any personal information you include in messages or enquiries

We do not knowingly collect data from children under the age of 16 without the consent of a parent or guardian.

3. How We Collect Information

We collect information when:

You fill out a form on our website
You email or phone us
You sign up to volunteer, donate or request support
You use or browse our website (via cookies or analytics tools)

All data is collected directly from you unless otherwise stated.

4. Why We Collect Your Information

We collect and process personal information so that we can:

Respond to your queries and requests
Process donations or contact you about gift aid (if applicable)
Contact volunteers or supporters about events, activities or opportunities
Improve our services, website and community outreach
Ensure the safety, legal compliance and smooth running of our organisation

We only collect the data we need and only use it for the purposes we have outlined.

5. How We Protect Your Information

We take appropriate steps to protect the information you share with us. This includes secure storage of data, limited access to sensitive records and the use of trusted, compliant service providers. We never sell your data or pass it to third parties for marketing purposes.

If we use third-party tools (such as online donation platforms or website forms), we ensure they also comply with data protection laws.

6. Sharing Your Information

We will only share your personal data when necessary and with trusted organisations that help us operate safely and effectively. This may include:

Our website provider or IT support services
Payment processors (for donations)
Relevant authorities where we are legally required to do so

We do not sell or rent your data to any other organisation.

7. Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you
Ask us to correct or update any information
Request that we delete your data (unless we are legally required to keep it)
Withdraw your consent at any time, where consent is the legal basis for processing
Object to certain types of processing

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us in writing at The Sharing Shelf Food Hub CIC, St Mark's Church, Millfield, Sunderland, SR4 7BN.

8. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website may use cookies to help us understand how visitors use the site and to improve the user experience. These cookies do not identify you personally. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law or the way we operate. Any updates will be posted on this page and the revised date will be shown at the top.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this policy or how your data is used, please contact us in writing at:

The Sharing Shelf Food Hub CIC
St Mark’s Church, Millfield, Sunderland, SR4 7BN

Legal Disclaimer

The explanations and information provided on this page are only general and high-level explanations and information on how to write your own document of a Privacy Policy. You should not rely on this article as legal advice or as recommendations regarding what you should actually do, because we cannot know in advance what are the specific privacy policies you wish to establish between your business and your customers and visitors. We recommend that you seek legal advice to help you understand and to assist you in the creation of your own Privacy Policy.