National Kidney Federation (NKF) Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

The National Kidney Federation (NKF) is committed to protecting your privacy. We value the trust our supporters, patients, and donors place in us, and we are dedicated to handling personal data responsibly and securely.

This policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

NKF is a registered charity (No. 1106735) and a registered company (No. 5272349 & SC049431). Our data controller is the National Kidney Federation, located at:

📍 National Kidney Federation, The Point, Coach Road, Shireoaks, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, S81 8BW
📧 Email: [email protected]
📞 Phone: 01909 544999

2. What Personal Data We Collect

We collect personal information whenever you:

• Contact us by post, email, phone, website, or social media.
• Sign up for our newsletters, events, or fundraising activities.
• Make a donation or apply for Gift Aid.
• Request support services from NKF.
• Apply for a job or volunteer position.

Types of Personal Data We Collect

• Basic Information – Name, address, phone number, email.
• Financial Information – Bank details for donations, direct debits, or Gift Aid.
• Health & Sensitive Data – If applicable, health conditions relevant to our support services
• Photographs & Stories – If you consent, we may share your story to raise awareness.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We process your data for specific purposes, including:

• Providing support – Helping kidney patients with information and advocacy.
• Communications – To keep you informed of the diverse ways we are working to offer support to kidney patients and to campaign on their behalf. To keep you updated about news, events, campaigning and fundraising opportunities.
• Fundraising & Donations – Processing and recording your donations, including Gift Aid claims.
• Event Management – Administering conferences, webinars, and patient support events.
• Volunteer & Employment Processing – Managing job and volunteer applications.

Supporter Communications and the Charitable Soft Opt-In

We may contact you by email or text message to keep you informed about our work, campaigns, fundraising activities, events, and other ways you can support our charitable purposes.

Where permitted by law, we may send these communications under the charitable “soft opt-in”. This applies where:

• you have provided your contact details directly to us when making a donation, registering for an event, requesting information, or otherwise engaging with our charitable activities;
• the communication relates to our charitable purposes;
• you were given the opportunity to opt out when your details were collected; and
• you have not opted out since.

Where the charitable soft opt-in does not apply, we will only send electronic marketing communications where we have your explicit consent.

You can opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time by:

• clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails;
• replying STOP to text messages (where applicable); or
• contacting us directly at [insert charity email address]

We will always respect your communication preferences.

4. Legal Basis for Processing Your Data

We process your data based on the following legal grounds:

• Consent – When you opt into communications or provide sensitive data.

• Legitimate Interest – For general supporter and donor engagement.
• Legal Obligation – Compliance with financial and regulatory requirements.
• Contractual Obligation – If you apply for a service or role with us.

Legal basis for electronic communications
We process personal data for electronic communications using consent, legitimate interests, and where applicable, the charitable soft opt-in provisions under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

Legal Disclosure

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law (for example, to comply with applicable laws, regulations and codes of practice or in response to a valid request from a competent authority); or, to enforce our condition of sale and other agreements.

You can update your communication preferences at any time by emailing [email protected].

5. How We Protect Your Data

We take all reasonable precautions to ensure your personal information is secure, including:

• Encrypted storage of digital data.
• Restricted access to personal data.
• Regular security reviews of our systems.
• Strict confidentiality agreements with third-party processors.

We never sell your data and only share it with trusted partners when necessary, such as mailing providers for sending out our Kidney Life magazine.

6. Data Retention Policy

We only keep your personal data for as long as necessary:

• Supporters & Donors – Seven years after the last donation (to comply with tax and Gift Aid regulations).
• Individuals Who Have Not Donated – Data deleted upon request.

• Supporters who receive communications under the charitable soft opt-in will continue to receive relevant updates until they choose to unsubscribe or we determine the relationship is no longer active.

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have the right to:

• Be Informed – Clear details on how we use your data.
• Access Your Data – Request a copy of your personal data.
• Rectification – Ask us to correct incorrect information.
• Erasure (‘Right to be Forgotten’) – Request data deletion when no longer necessary.
• Restrict Processing – Control how we use your information.
• Object to Processing – Stop receiving marketing communications.
• Withdraw Consent – Change your preferences at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected].

 

You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the link provided in our communications or by contacting us at [email protected].

8. Cookies & Website Tracking

We use cookies on our website to:

• Monitor site traffic and improve user experience.
• Remember user preferences for easier navigation.
• Ensure website security and functionality.

First Party

We use ‘Session Cookies’, which allow websites to link the actions of the user during a browser session. They are used for a variety of purposes such as remembering what a user has put in their shopping basket, as they browse around the site. These session cookies expire after a browser session is closed, so are never stored long-term. If linking to another website, the cookie gets deleted. We never use cookies for marketing purposes.

Third Party

We collect information about the Internet Protocol(IP) addresses of all our website visitors, using Google analytics, in order to see how our website is used and monitor site traffic so as to continuously improve and develop the design and content of our site. This information is not personally identifiable information – it is anonymised.

You can manage cookie settings in your browser. For more details, visit www.aboutcookies.org.

9. Data Transfers Outside the UK

We do not transfer personal data outside the UK.

 

10. How to Contact Us or Make a Complaint

If you have concerns about how we handle your data, contact:

📍 National Kidney Federation
The Point, Coach Road, Shireoaks, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, S81 8BW
📧 Email: [email protected]
📞 Phone: 01909 544999

If you are not satisfied, you can also contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

📍 ICO Office
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
📞 Helpline: 0303 123 1113
🌐 Website: www.ico.org.uk

11. Updates to This Policy

We review this policy annually and will post updates on our website. If significant changes occur, we will notify you by email.

Reviewed and amended on 5^th May 2026