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Privacy Policy

We (The Royal Air Force Museum and RAF Museum Enterprises Ltd.) are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. 
We (The Royal Air Force Museum and RAF Museum Enterprises Ltd.) are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.

 
Introduction

We (the Royal Air Force Museum and RAF Museum Enterprises Ltd.) are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. We will only use the information that we collect about you lawfully.

Developing a better understanding of our visitors and supporters through your personal data allows us make better decisions, fundraise more efficiently and, ultimately, helps us to reach our goal of telling the story of the Royal Air Force through its people and our collections and to ensure that the Royal Air Force’s story endures and enriches future generations.

This policy and any other documents referred to in it set out the basis on which any personal data we collect from you or that you provide to us will be processed and held by us. Please read the following carefully to understand our views and practices regarding your personal data and how we will treat it. By using our websites or providing your personal information to the RAF Museum and/or RAF Museum Enterprise Limited you are accepting and consenting to the practices described in this policy (including any such amendments to this policy, as may be set out on our site, from time to time).

How we collect information about you

The information you give us

You may give us information in the following ways:

  • You make a donation to us (which may be financial, non-financial or in-kind), or respond to our mailings, appeals, raffles and competitions
  • You contact us in relation to becoming a volunteer or volunteer for us, take part in a challenge event, attend an event (e.g. Spitfire 10K, food festival, Hendon Happy Hour etc), or fundraise on our behalf
  • You apply for a job with us or become an employee or provide services via an agency or provide consultancy services directly to us
  • You purchase something from our shops
  • You become a sponsor or join as a RAF Museum member
  • You request a copy of our magazine or any other materials from us
  • You subscribe to our e-newsletters
  • You register a website account
  • You contact us with enquiries or other correspondence (including via social media) or become involved with us in another way.

If you interact with us in one of the ways listed above, we may collect and process personal information about you such as:

  • Your name, address, email address, telephone number and other contact information (including details of your social media accounts/profiles)
  • Financial information such as your bank or card details
  • Information you enter onto our website
  • Records of your correspondence with us, if you have contacted us
  • Details of your visit to our website, including your IP address.


Whilst generally we will seek consent to process your data at the point we collect it, in some cases we may process data without consent where we are legally allowed to do so, and where we have legitimate reasons for doing so (e.g. to process a donation you have made), provided we respect your legal rights.

Information we collect about you
With regard to each of your visits to our websites we may automatically collect the following information:
  • Technical information, including the Internet Protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the Internet, your login information, browser type and version, time zone setting, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform.
  • Information about your visit, including the full Uniform Resource Locators (URL) clickstream to, through and from our site (including date and time); products or advertisements you viewed or searched for; page response times, download errors, length of visits to certain pages, page interaction information (such as scrolling, clicks, and mouse-overs), and methods used to browse away from the page and any phone number used.


Information we receive from other sources

We may receive information about you if you use any of the other websites we operate or the other services we provide.

The information we get from other organisations may depend on your privacy settings or the responses you give, so you should regularly check them.



Third party organisations

You may have provided permission for a company or other organisation to share your data with third parties, including charities. This could be when you buy a product or service, register for an online competition or sign up with a comparison site.

We also work closely with third parties (including, for example, business partners, sub-contractors in technical, payment and delivery services, advertising networks, analytics providers, search information providers, credit reference agencies) and may receive information about you from them.

These independent third parties will only do so when you have indicated that you wish to support the RAF Museum and with your consent.


Social Media


Depending on your settings or the privacy policies for social media and messaging services like Facebook, WhatsApp or Twitter, you might give us permission to access information from those accounts or services.


Public Domain


Where the law allows us to do so, on occasion we may also collect information (such as your telephone number) from the public domain, either directly or from third parties and combine that with the information we currently hold.

Where possible we may use publicly available sources to keep your records up to date (e.g. using the Post Office’s National Change of Address database and postcode validation) and check against deceased records.


Cookies


Our websites use cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to improve your experience when you browse our websites and also allows us to improve our sites. For detailed information on the cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them see our Cookies Policy below.

How we use this information
We may use information held about you in the following ways:

Information you give us
We will use this information

  • To enable us (where relevant) to carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between you and us and to provide you with the information, products and services that you request from us
  • To administer your purchase or donation or membership or support your fundraising, including processing Gift Aid
  • To comply with applicable laws and regulations, and requests from statutory agencies
  • For our own internal administrative purposes and keep a record of your relationship with us
  • For the purposes of research such as supporter satisfaction research
  • For marketing purposes, to provide you with information about us, our fundraising campaigns, our events (including challenge events), our services, and any other information, products or services that we provide or provide access to (e.g. supporter or membership updates)
  • To provide essential event information where you have signed up to take part
  • To provide you, or permit selected third parties to provide you, with information about goods or services we feel may interest you
  • To notify you about changes to our service including membership/donor benefits
  • To manage your communication preferences with us generally
  • To ensure that content from our site is presented in the most effective manner for you and for your computer/mobile device.

Information we collect about you
We will use this information:

  • To administer our site and for internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research, statistical and survey purposes
  • To improve our site to ensure that content is presented in the most effective manner for you and for your computer
  • To enable you to participate in interactive features of our service, when you choose to do so
  • As part of our efforts to keep our site safe and secure
  • To measure or understand the effectiveness of advertising we serve to you and others, and to deliver relevant advertising to you
  • To make suggestions and recommendations to you and other users of our site about goods or services that may interest you or them

Information we receive from other sources
We may combine this information with information you give to us and information we collect about you. We may use this information and the combined information for the purposes set out above (depending on the types of information we receive).

Analysis of your information

  • We may use profiling and screening techniques to analyse your personal information and create a profile of your interests and preferences. This allows us to ensure communications are relevant and timely, and provide an improved experience for our supporters. For fundraising, it also helps us understand the background of our supporters so that we can make appropriate requests to those who may be willing and able to give more than they already do, enabling us to raise funds sooner and more cost-effectively and proportionately than we otherwise would.
  • When building such a profile we may make use of additional information about you, including geo-demographic information and measures of affluence, when it is available from external sources to help us do this effectively. We may use third party suppliers to undertake these activities on our behalf and share your information with them to the extent required. Such information is compiled (either by us or our suppliers) using publicly available data e.g. addresses, information available from public registers, such as listed Directorships, typical earnings in a geographical area, information from the electoral roll, press reports and social media posts.


Sharing your story

Some people choose to tell us about their experiences with the Royal Air Force or Royal Air Force Museum to help further our work. They may take on a role as an Ambassador or Media Volunteer, attend our events or sit on our committees. This may include them sharing sensitive information related to their career, health and family life in addition to their biographical and contact information.

We use some of the information provided, including gender, ethnicity or the type of story they have shared, to target opportunities to get involved. We will also monitor the types of people who are involved with the Museum to ensure that the views we hear are representative of all people.

If we have the explicit and informed consent of the individuals, or their parent or guardian if they are under 18, this information may be made public by us at events, in materials promoting our campaigning and fundraising work, or in documents such as our annual report.

Disclosure of your information

We may share your personal information across the RAF Museum and our trading company, RAF Museum Enterprises Ltd.

We may share your information with selected third parties including business partners, suppliers and sub-contractors for the performance of any contract we enter into with you, advertisers and advertising networks that require the data to select and serve relevant adverts to you and others (we do not disclose information about identifiable individuals to our advertisers, but we may provide them with aggregate information about our users), analytics and search engine providers that assist us in the improvement and optimisation of our site. We only provide them with the information they need to deliver the relevant service, and we make sure your information is treated with the same level of care as if we were handling it directly.

We do not sell your data to third parties for the purposes of marketing.

Where we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal data in order to comply with any legal obligation, or in order to enforce or apply our terms of use and other subscription agreements; or to protect the rights, property, or safety of ourselves, our customers, or others, we shall do so. This includes exchanging information with other companies, agencies and organisations for the purposes of fraud protection and credit risk reduction and for the purpose of administering Gift Aid.

Where we store your personal data

We ensure that there are appropriate technical controls in place to protect your personal details. For example our online forms are always encrypted and our network is protected and routinely monitored. All information you provide us is stored on secure servers in accordance with our internal security policies. Any online payment transactions will be encrypted.

We undertake regular reviews of who has access to information that we hold to ensure that your information is only accessible by appropriately trained staff, volunteers and contractors.

We may use external companies to collect or process personal data on our behalf. We do comprehensive checks on these companies before we work with them, and put a contract in place that sets out our expectations and requirements, especially regarding how they manage the personal data they have collect or access.

The data that we collect from you may be transferred to, and stored at, a destination outside the European Economic Area ("EEA"). It may also be processed by staff operating outside the EEA who work for us or for one of our suppliers. By submitting your personal data, you agree to this transfer, storing or processing. We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) a password which enables you to access certain parts of our site, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. The transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure.
Although we will do our best to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to our site and any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your information, we will use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access.

If you request to receive no further contact from us, we will keep some basic information in order to avoid sending you unwanted materials in the future, and to ensure that we do not accidentally store details for the same person multiple times. If we did not retain this information then this could result in us contacting you again as we would no longer have a record of your request not to be contacted.

We will keep your personal data for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it is processed, in accordance with our internal policies.

Your Rights
To request details of the information we hold about you, if you have provided us with your personal information, but decide at a later date that you no longer want to receive information from us, or if you wish to update us that your contact details have changed or change your preferences, simply let us know by:

  • Sending an email to fundraising@rafmuseum.org 
  • Writing to the Development Assistant, Royal Air Force Museum, Grahame Park Way,Colindale, London NW9 5LL.
Instructions for unsubscribing from emails will also be included in each email communication we send.

If you are unhappy with the way in which your personal data has been handled you are entitled to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Our site may, from time to time, contain links to and from the websites of our partner networks, advertisers and affiliates. If you follow a link to any of these websites, please note that these websites have their own privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies. Please check these policies before you submit any personal data to these websites.

Access to Information
The Act gives you the right to access information held about you. Your right of access can be exercised in accordance with the Act. Where any such request is made, we shall revert to you in a reasonable time frame.

Changes to our Privacy Policy
Any changes we may make to our privacy policy in the future will be posted on our websites. Please check back frequently to see any updates or changes to our Privacy Policy.



Our Cookie Policy
 
Information about our use of cookies
Our site uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our Web site. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our site and also allows us to improve our site.
Due to recent changes in law, all sites which operate across certain parts of the European Union are required to obtain consent using or storing cookies (or similar technologies) on your computers or mobile device. This cookie policy provides you with clear and comprehensive information about the cookies we use and the purposes for using those cookies. To review the privacy policies that apply to users of www.rafstoryvault.org.uk, please read our Privacy Policy.

What is a cookie?
 
A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies as soon as you visit our site.
 
Key concepts
 
• First and third-party cookies: whether a cookie is 'first' or 'third' party refers to the domain placing the cookie. First-party cookies are those set by a website that is being visited by the user at the time (e.g. cookies placed by www.rafstoryvault.org.uk).
• Third-party cookies: are cookies that are set by a domain other than that of the site being visited by the user. If a user visits a website and another entity sets a cookie through that site this would be a third-party cookie.
• Persistent cookies: these cookies remain on a user's device for the period of time specified in the cookie. They are activated each time that the user visits the website that created that particular cookie.
• Session cookies: these cookies allow website operators to link the actions of a user during a browser session. A browser session starts when a user opens the browser window and finishes when they close the browser window. Session cookies are created temporarily. Once you close the browser, all session cookies are deleted.
How to delete and block our cookies

You block cookies by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies. However, if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including essential cookies) you may not be able to access all or parts of our site. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies as soon as you visit our site.
 
Can I withdraw my consent?
 
If you wish to withdraw your consent at any time, you will need to delete your cookies using your internet browser settings.
For further information about deleting or blocking cookies, please visit:

http://www.aboutcookies.org/

How to turn cookies off
 
Internet browsers allow you to change your cookie settings. These settings are usually found in the 'options' or 'preferences' menu of your internet browser. In order to understand these settings, the following links may be helpful. Otherwise you should use the 'Help' option in your internet browser for more details.

Cookie settings in Internet Explorer
Cookie settings in Firefox
Cookie settings in Chrome
Cookie settings in Safari

What cookies do we use and why?
 
To find out about specific cookies we use on this site, please see below for details.
The cookies used on our site are categorised as follows:

• Strictly necessary
• Performance

Strictly necessary

'Strictly necessary' cookies let you move around the site and use essential features like accessing your profile and posting feedback. Without these cookies, these services cannot be provided. Please note that these cookies do not gather any information about you that could be used for marketing or remembering where you've been on the internet.

We use these strictly necessary cookies to:
• identify you as being logged in to our site; and
• enable you to submit information via online forms such as registration and feedback forms.
 
Accepting these cookies is a condition of using the site, so if you prevent these cookies we can't guarantee your use of our site or how the security on our site will perform during your visit.
 
Performance
 
'Performance' cookies collect information about how you use our site e.g. which pages you visit, and if you experience any errors. These cookies do not collect any information that could identify you and is only used to help us improve how our site works, understand what interests our users and measure how effective our content is.

We use Web Analytics performance cookies to provide anonymous statistics on how our site is used.

Some of our performance cookies are managed for us by third parties. However, we don't allow the third party to use the cookies for any purpose other than those listed above.
By using our site, you accept the use of 'Performance' cookies. Accepting these cookies is a condition of using the site, so if you prevent them we cannot guarantee how our site will perform for you.

More information about cookies
• Information about cookies: useful information about cookies can be found at: http://www.allaboutcookies.org
• International Chamber of Commerce United Kingdom: information on the ICC (UK) UK cookie guide can be found on the ICC Web site section: https://iccwbo.org/privacy/

What specific cookies do we use on rafstoryvault.org.uk?
 
First party cookies

Name, Description, Expiration
PHPSESSID, session identifier closing browser or 20 minutes of inactivity
visitorID, unique browser / visitor identifier, one year.


Third party cookies

Google Analytics sets the following cookies as described in the table below. A default configuration and use of Google Analytics sets only the first 4 cookies in the table.

Name Description Expiration

This cookie is typically written to the browser upon the first visit to your site from that web browser. If the cookie has been deleted by the browser operator, and the browser subsequently visits your site, a new cookie is written with a different unique ID. This cookie is used to determine unique visitors to your site and it is updated with each page view. Additionally, this cookie is provided with a unique ID that Google Analytics uses to ensure both the validity and accessibility of the cookie as an extra security measure. 2 years from set/update.

This cookie is used to establish and continue a user session with your site. When a user views a page on your site, the Google Analytics code attempts to update this cookie. If it does not find the cookie, a new one is written and a new session is established. Each time a user visits a different page on your site, this cookie is updated to expire in 30 minutes, thus continuing a single session for as long as user activity continues within 30-minute intervals. This cookie expires when a user pauses on a page on your site for longer than 30 minutes. You can modify the default length of a user session with the_setSessionCookieTimeout() method.

30 minutes from set/update.

This cookie is no longer used by the ga.js tracking code to determine session status.
Historically, this cookie operated in conjunction with the cookie to determine whether or not to establish a new session for the user. For backwards compatibility purposes with sites still using the urchin.js tracking code, this cookie will continue to be written and will expire when the user exits the browser. However, if you are debugging your site tracking and you use the ga.js tracking code, you should not interpret the existence of this cookie in relation to a new or expired session. Not set.

This cookie stores the type of referral used by the visitor to reach your site, whether via a direct method, a referring link, a website search, or a campaign such as an ad or an email link. It is used to calculate search engine traffic, ad campaigns and page navigation within your own site. The cookie is updated with each page view to your site. 6 months from set/update. This cookie is not normally present in a default configuration of the tracking code. The__utmv cookie passes the information provided via the _setVar() method, which you use to create a custom user segment. This string is then passed to the Analytics servers in the GIF request URL via the utmcc parameter. This cookie is only written if you have added the _setVar() method for the tracking code on your website page. 2 years from set/update.

This cookie is used by Website Optimizer and only set when the Website Optimizer tracking code is installed and correctly configured for your pages. When the optimizer script executes, this cookie stores the variation this visitor is assigned to for each experiment, so the visitor has a consistent experience on your site. See the Website Optimizer Help Center for more information.
2 years from set/update.

guest_id This cookie is used by Twitter and serves as your unique identification number associated with Twitter. 2 years from set/update.


For more information on Google Analytics see:

https://developers.google.com/analytics/resources/concepts/gaConceptsCookies