Privacy Policy
Urban Foundry Ltd. respects and values privacy.
1. Introduction
At Urban Foundry, we take your privacy seriously and are committed to protecting your personal information.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information when you visit our website, contact us, participate in our projects or engage with our services.
We aim to be open and transparent about the information we collect and how we use it.
Our approach is guided by the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and other applicable data protection legislation.
2. Who We Are
Urban Foundry is a creative regeneration organisation working to make towns and cities better places.
We deliver projects and services that engage people, activate places, support businesses and create social value.
Organisation: Urban Foundry
Registered company name: Urban Foundry Ltd
Registered address: Urban HQ, Alexander Road, Swansea, SA1 1GY
Contact: https://www.urbanfoundry.co.uk/contact/
Urban Foundry Ltd is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent regulator for data protection and information rights.
For questions about how we handle personal information, please contact us through our website, marking your enquiry ‘Privacy’.
Where Urban Foundry determines how and why personal information is processed, we act as the data controller.
Where we process information on behalf of another organisation, we may act as a data processor.
3. Our Approach to Data Protection
We believe that personal information should always be collected and handled fairly, lawfully and transparently.
Any personal information we collect will be:
- Used lawfully, fairly and transparently.
- Collected for specified, legitimate purposes.
- Limited to information necessary for those purposes.
- Accurate and kept up to date where necessary.
- Retained only for as long as necessary.
- Protected through appropriate security measures.
Before collecting personal information, we consider why it is needed, the legal basis for processing it, how it will be used and how long it should be retained.
We also consider any potential risks to the individuals concerned.
4. Information We Collect
Depending on how you interact with Urban Foundry, we may collect the following types of information:
Contact information
Your name, email address, telephone number, organisation and other information you provide when contacting us.
Project and service information
Information provided when enquiring about or participating in our projects, services, events, workshops or other activities.
Research and consultation information
Information collected through surveys, interviews, consultations, feedback forms and other research activities.
Website information
Technical information relating to your use of our website, which may include your IP address, browser type, device information and website usage data.
Communications
Information contained in emails, enquiries and other correspondence with Urban Foundry.
We only collect information that is relevant and necessary for the purposes explained to you.
Where we collect particularly sensitive personal information, we will identify an appropriate lawful basis and any additional legal conditions required.
5. How We Use Your Information
We may use personal information to:
- Respond to enquiries and requests for information.
- Provide our services and deliver projects.
- Manage participation in events, workshops and activities.
- Conduct research, surveys and consultations.
- Communicate with project participants, partners and stakeholders.
- Manage relationships with clients, suppliers and other organisations.
- Improve our website, services and activities.
- Meet our legal and regulatory obligations.
- Send marketing communications where permitted by law.
We will not use your personal information for purposes that are incompatible with those originally explained to you unless permitted by law.
6. Our Legal Basis for Processing Information
Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal information.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include:
Consent: Where you have given us permission to use your information for a specific purpose.
Contract: Where processing is necessary to fulfil a contract with you or take steps at your request before entering into one.
Legal obligation: Where we need to process information to comply with the law.
Legitimate interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate business or organisational interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
Where we rely on legitimate interests, these may include responding to enquiries, maintaining relationships with relevant stakeholders, administering projects and improving our services.
Before publication: Urban Foundry must confirm which lawful basis applies to each actual processing activity. Consent is not necessarily required for every activity.
7. Research and Projects Delivered for Third Parties
Research, consultation and community engagement form an important part of our work.
Sometimes we collect information for our own purposes. On other occasions, we are commissioned to collect information on behalf of clients or partner organisations.
Before undertaking research, we establish how information will be collected, used, stored and shared.
Where possible, research findings are presented in an anonymised or aggregated format, meaning individuals cannot be identified.
In some circumstances, clients may require access to identifiable research information.
Where this happens, we will explain the arrangements to participants and establish the respective data protection responsibilities of the organisations involved.
Where Urban Foundry acts as a data processor on behalf of a client, we will process personal information in accordance with the client’s documented instructions and applicable data protection requirements.
Our researchers follow appropriate research ethics and data protection procedures.
8. Sharing Your Information
Urban Foundry operates through three associated companies: Urban Foundry Ltd, Canolfan Ltd and Swansea Bay Street Markets Ltd.
Where necessary and appropriate, personal information may be shared between these companies for specified business and operational purposes, including delivering projects and services, responding to enquiries, and managing relevant administrative activities.
We do not necessarily require consent for every instance of sharing. We will only share personal information where an appropriate lawful basis applies, such as legitimate interests, performance of a contract or compliance with a legal obligation. We will consider the purpose of the sharing, the information involved and individuals’ rights, and will limit access to what is necessary. Additional rules may apply to direct marketing and sensitive personal information.
Each company is responsible for meeting its applicable data protection obligations. Where required, we will explain which company controls the information and how it is used. Appropriate safeguards and data-sharing arrangements will be maintained.
We may share personal information with trusted organisations where necessary to deliver our services or fulfil our legal responsibilities.
These may include:
- Clients and project partners.
- Organisations commissioning research or consultation.
- Website hosting and IT service providers.
- Booking, event management and communications providers.
- Professional advisers and regulatory authorities where required.
We will only share information where there is an appropriate legal basis and suitable safeguards are in place.
We do not sell personal information to third parties.
9. How Long We Keep Your Information
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including any applicable legal, contractual or regulatory requirements.
Retention periods depend on the nature of the information and the purpose for which it is held.
When information is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it.
Before publication: Urban Foundry should add its actual retention periods or the specific criteria used to determine them.
10. Keeping Your Information Secure
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.
Urban Foundry holds Cyber Essentials certification, a UK government-backed scheme focused on protecting IT systems against common cyber threats. This forms part of our wider approach to information security and does not remove the need for ongoing safeguards and monitoring.
Access to personal information is restricted to individuals who need it for legitimate work purposes.
Where third-party organisations process information on our behalf, we seek appropriate assurances that they maintain suitable data protection and security standards.
11. International Data Transfers
Some of the technology and service providers we use may process or store information outside the United Kingdom.
Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.
Before publication: Confirm whether international transfers occur and identify the relevant safeguards.
12. Your Rights
Under UK data protection legislation, you have a number of rights relating to your personal information.
Depending on the circumstances, these include the right to:
- Access personal information we hold about you.
- Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Request deletion of your information.
- Request restriction of how your information is processed.
- Object to certain types of processing.
- Request the transfer of your information in certain circumstances.
- Withdraw consent where consent is the legal basis for processing.
- Exercise rights relating to certain automated decisions.
You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests in certain circumstances. You also have the right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing at any time.
These rights are subject to applicable legal conditions and exemptions.
To exercise your rights, please contact us through our website and clearly identify your request as relating to privacy or data protection.
We will respond within the timescales required by law. Requests are normally handled without charge, although exceptions may apply.
13. Complaints
If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact us in the first instance so that we can investigate.
You also have the right to raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent data protection regulator.
Information about making a complaint is available from the ICO.
14. Changes to Our Business
If Urban Foundry undergoes a change of ownership, merger, restructuring or transfer of business activities, personal information may need to be transferred as part of that process.
Any such transfer will be carried out in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.
Where required, we will inform affected individuals of relevant changes.
15. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, our activities or how we process personal information.
The latest version will always be available on our website, with the date of the most recent update displayed above.