Privacy Policy
How AWVT uses and protects personal information
Last updated: 10 September 2026
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About this privacy policy
The Association of Worship & Venue Technicians CIC (“AWVT”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is committed to respecting your privacy and handling personal information responsibly.
This privacy policy explains what personal information we may collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and the rights you have in relation to your information.
It applies to information collected through the AWVT website, consultations and questionnaires, enquiries, correspondence and other activities undertaken by AWVT.
Who is responsible for your information?
The data controller is:
Association of Worship & Venue Technicians CIC (AWVT)
Email: info@awvt.org
You can contact us at this address if you have any questions about this privacy policy or about how we use your personal information.
What information may we collect?
Depending on how you interact with AWVT, we may collect information such as:
- your name;
- your email address and other contact details;
- the church, venue, organisation or company with which you are associated;
- information about your role or involvement in audiovisual, technical, worship, arts or volunteer activities;
- responses you provide to consultations, questionnaires and research;
- information you provide when contacting or corresponding with us;
- records of whether you have agreed to further contact; and
- limited technical information generated when you use our website, such as security logs and information necessary for the operation of the website.
You do not normally have to identify yourself to participate in an AWVT consultation where the questionnaire states that anonymous responses are permitted.
Please avoid including unnecessary sensitive personal information in free-text questionnaire responses or correspondence.
Why do we use personal information?
We may use personal information to:
- conduct consultations and research relating to volunteer technical standards, training, governance and representation;
- understand the needs and views of volunteer technicians, team leaders, churches, venues, trainers, industry and other stakeholders;
- develop and review AWVT standards, qualifications, assessment approaches and governance arrangements;
- analyse consultation and research findings;
- respond to enquiries;
- contact people who have asked or agreed to participate in further discussion;
- administer relationships with supporters, advisers, trainers, partners and other organisations;
- operate, maintain and protect our website and information systems;
- maintain appropriate organisational and governance records; and
- meet legal, regulatory and administrative requirements.
Where consultation or research findings are published, we will normally publish aggregated or anonymised findingsrather than identifying individual respondents.
We will not identify or quote an individual respondent publicly without an appropriate basis for doing so and, where appropriate, their permission.
Our lawful basis for using your information
UK data protection law requires us to have a lawful basis for using personal information.
Depending on the circumstances, AWVT may rely on:
Legitimate interests – where processing is reasonably necessary for AWVT’s work, including developing standards, conducting consultations and research, engaging with stakeholders, responding to enquiries, administering the organisation and protecting its systems. Our legitimate interest is in developing and operating a credible, representative and accountable standards organisation serving volunteer technical communities.
Consent – where we specifically ask for your agreement, for example where you choose to allow us to contact you about a consultation or future discussion.
Legal obligation – where we need to retain or disclose information to comply with a legal or regulatory requirement.
Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.
The ICO confirms that organisations do not need consent for every use of personal information; another appropriate lawful basis can apply. Where legitimate interests are relied upon, the organisation must identify those interests and tell individuals about them.
Consultation and questionnaire responses
AWVT conducts consultations and questionnaires to help shape its standards, governance and activities.
Some questionnaires allow you to respond anonymously. Where identifying information such as your name, organisation or email address is optional, you may leave those fields blank.
Providing contact details as part of a consultation does not automatically add you to a general marketing mailing list.
If you agree that AWVT may contact you about your response or invite you to further discussions, we will use your contact information for that purpose.
Responses may be analysed and combined with those of other participants to produce statistics, reports and summaries. Published findings will normally be presented in a way that does not identify individual respondents.
Research undertaken with other organisations
AWVT may sometimes use or commission research undertaken by another organisation.
Where another organisation independently collects personal information, its own privacy policy will apply to that collection. Where information is subsequently supplied to AWVT, we will use it only where there is an appropriate lawful basis and in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.
Who may we share information with?
We do not sell personal information.
We may use trusted organisations that provide services necessary to operate AWVT, such as:
- website and hosting providers;
- email and communications providers;
- website form and security services;
- IT and technical support providers;
- professional advisers; and
- research, educational or administrative contractors working on AWVT’s behalf.
Where appropriate, such providers are required to handle information securely and only for the purposes for which they have been engaged.
We may also disclose information where required by law.
International processing
Some of the technology and service providers used to operate websites, email or other online services may process information outside the United Kingdom.
Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards required by UK data protection law are in place.
How long do we keep information?
We keep personal information only for as long as it is reasonably required for the purpose for which it was collected, or where we have a legal or administrative reason to retain it.
Consultation and research responses may be retained for as long as they remain relevant to the development, review and historical record of the standards or governance work concerned. Where possible, information retained for longer-term research or statistical purposes will be anonymised.
Contact information collected solely for follow-up to a consultation will not be retained indefinitely once that purpose has ended unless there is another legitimate reason to retain it.
We will periodically review the information we hold and delete or anonymise information that is no longer required.
Website information and cookies
Like most websites, the AWVT website may use cookies and similar technologies necessary for the website to function, maintain security and remember certain settings.
Some website services may also generate technical information such as IP addresses, browser information, security events and server logs.
Where non-essential cookies or tracking technologies are introduced, we will provide appropriate information and, where required, seek consent.
The ICO distinguishes essential website functionality from non-essential cookies and says website visitors need to be informed about cookies; non-essential cookies generally require agreement before use.
Keeping your information secure
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure.
Access to personal information is limited to people who reasonably require it for AWVT’s activities or to provide services on our behalf.
Your data protection rights
Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis on which information is processed, you may have rights including the right to:
- ask for a copy of personal information we hold about you;
- ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
- ask us to erase your information in certain circumstances;
- ask us to restrict the way information is used in certain circumstances;
- object to certain uses of your personal information;
- receive certain information in a portable form where applicable; and
- withdraw consent where processing is based upon your consent.
These rights are not absolute in every circumstance, but we will consider any request in accordance with applicable data protection law. The rights that apply can depend upon the lawful basis being used.
To exercise a data protection right, contact:
info@awvt.org
Your right to object
Where AWVT processes your personal information on the basis of legitimate interests, you have the right to object to that processing.
If you object, we will consider your circumstances and whether there are compelling legitimate grounds for continuing the processing.
You have an absolute right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing.
The ICO specifically requires the right to object to be brought to people’s attention clearly, particularly where legitimate interests are relied upon.
Complaints
If you are concerned about how AWVT has handled your personal information, please contact us first at:
info@awvt.org
We will try to resolve your concern.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection regulator.
Information Commissioner's Office
Links to other websites
The AWVT website may contain links to websites operated by other organisations. AWVT is not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites. You should review the relevant organisation’s privacy information when providing personal information to it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this privacy policy as AWVT develops or if our use of personal information changes.
The current version will be published on this website and the date at the top of the policy will show when it was last updated.