Privacy Policy
Kelly’s Heroes (We Mind & Kelly Matters, Charity No. 1182625)
Last updated (May 2026)
Kelly’s Heroes is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal data when you:
- Visit our website
- Donate, fundraise or support our work
- Contact us or use our services
- Sign up to events, newsletters or volunteering
We process personal data in accordance with the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and relevant UK privacy laws.
2. Who We Are (Data Controller)
Kelly’s Heroes is the data controller for your personal data.
Contact details:
- Email: hello@kellysheroes.org.uk
- Address: 49 Doddington Road, Wellingborough, NN8 2JH
- Phone: 0800 0025 400
3. Types of data we collect
a) General personal data
- Name
- Contact details (email, phone, address)
- Emergency contact details
- Donation or fundraising information.
- Messages or enquiries submitted via forms
b) Automatically collected data
- IP address
- Browser type and device
- Pages visited (via cookies/analytics)
c) Counselling and Listening Ear data (Sensitive data)
When you access counselling or listening ear support, we may collect:
- Mental health information
- Emotional wellbeing details
- Notes from sessions (where applicable)
- Risk or safeguarding information
- Referral details (if applicable)
This is classified as “special category data” under UK GDPR and is handled with strict confidentiality.
4. How We Use Your Data
General purposes:
- Responding to enquiries
- Managing donations and fundraising
- Running events and volunteering
- Sending communications (with consent)
Counselling & Listening Ear purposes
- Providing emotional support and wellbeing services
- Assessing your needs and suitability for services
- Ensuring continuity of care (where applicable)
- Safeguarding you or others if there is a risk of harm
- Clinical supervision and quality assurance (anonymised where possible)
- To improve our website and services
- To meet legal and regulatory obligations
UK GDPR requires organisations to clearly explain the purpose of processing and lawful basis for each activity.
5. Lawful Bases for Processing
We rely on one or more of the following legal bases:
- Consent – for marketing communications
- Contract – to deliver services or process donations
- Legal obligation – for compliance (e.g. Gift Aid, accounting)
- Legitimate interests – to operate and improve our charity
6. How We Share Your Data
We may share your data only where necessary with:
- Qualified counsellors or trained volunteers
- Clinical supervisors (anonymised where possible)
- Emergency services or safeguarding authorities (if required)
- Trusted service providers (e.g., booking platforms, secure databases)
We never sell your personal data.
7. Confidentiality & Safeguarding
We treat counselling and listening ear conversations as confidential. However, confidentiality may be broken if:
- There is a risk of serious harm to you or others
- There are safeguarding concerns involving children or vulnerable adults
- We are required to do so by law
Where possible, we will inform you before sharing information.
If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place (such as UK-approved transfer mechanisms).
Recording & Session notes
- Listening ear services are generally not recorded
- Brief notes may be taken to support service delivery
- Counselling records are kept securely and access is restricted to authorised personnel
- Supervisors may review anonymised cases for professional standards
8. Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary, including:
- Donation and financial records (for legal/tax requirements)
- We keep data only as long as necessary:
- Counselling records: retained for a defined safeguarding and clinical period (typically 6–7 years, unless required longer)
- Listening ear interactions: minimal records retained for shorter periods
- Safeguarding records: retained in line with legal obligations
9. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access your personal data
- Correct inaccurate data
- Request deletion (“right to be forgotten”)
- Restrict or object to processing
- Data portability
- Withdraw consent at any time
- Lodge a complaint with the ICO
These rights are fundamental under UK data protection law. To exercise your rights, contact us using the details in Section 2.
10. Cookies and Tracking
We use cookies and similar technologies to:
- Improve website performance
- Understand user behaviour
- Enable essential website functions
You can manage cookies through your browser settings.
11. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data from:
- Unauthorised access
- Loss or misuse
- Damage or disclosure
UK GDPR requires organisations to ensure appropriate security safeguards.
12. Children and young people
We support young people and take additional precautions:
- Data is handled with enhanced safeguarding standards
- Consent may involve parents/guardians where appropriate
- Safeguarding responsibilities override confidentiality where necessary
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website with the updated date.
14. Complaints
If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, please contact us first through hello@kellysheroes.org.uk
You also have the right to complain to:
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) via the following routes:
- Website: www.ico.org.uk
- Phone: 0303 123 1113