Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains what personal data cooperatives.org.uk ("we", "us", "our") collects when you visit this website, why we collect it, how long we keep it, and the rights you have. We process personal data in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Template notice. This page is a working template provided for transparency. It should be reviewed by a qualified data protection professional and tailored to the exact analytics, advertising and form tools in use before launch. It is general information, not legal advice.
1. Who we are & how to contact us
cooperatives.org.uk is an independent UK information website about starting and running cooperatives. We are not a regulator and not affiliated with Co‑operatives UK, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Companies House or any government body — see About us.
For any privacy question, or to exercise your data rights, contact our data protection point of contact:
- Email: privacy@cooperatives.org.uk
We act as the data controller for the personal data described below.
2. What data we collect
We aim to collect as little personal data as possible. Depending on how you use the site, this may include:
| Category | Examples | When |
|---|---|---|
| Analytics & usage data | Pages viewed, approximate location (country/region), device and browser type, referring site, anonymised or truncated IP address | Automatically, when you browse the site |
| Cookie & advertising identifiers | Cookies and similar identifiers set by us and by third‑party ad partners | Where you have consented, or where strictly necessary |
| Enquiry & directory data | Your name, email address, organisation, website and the content of your message | If you email us or submit a directory listing or contact form |
We do not ask for special category data (such as health, ethnicity or political views), and we ask you not to send it to us.
3. Cookies & third‑party advertising
Cookies are small files stored on your device. We use a small number of cookies and similar technologies for two purposes:
- Measurement — privacy‑aware analytics to understand which guides are useful and how the site performs.
- Advertising — we display ads to help fund this free resource. Our advertising partners (for example, ad networks such as Google and their certified vendors) may set cookies or read identifiers to measure ad performance and, where you consent, to show more relevant (personalised) ads.
These third parties are independent controllers of the data they collect through their cookies, and their use is governed by their own privacy policies. You can usually control or switch off personalised advertising directly with the relevant provider:
- Manage Google ad personalisation via your Google Ad Settings (myadcenter.google.com).
- Adjust participating networks at the Your Online Choices tool (youronlinechoices.com).
- Use your browser settings to block or delete cookies at any time.
Where required, we ask for your consent before setting non‑essential (analytics and advertising) cookies, and you can withdraw that consent at any time through our cookie controls.
4. Affiliate links
Some links on this site — including in our guides such as funding a cooperative and on our compare structures and directory pages — are affiliate links. If you click one and go on to buy a product or service, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This helps keep our content free.
When you follow an affiliate or outbound link, the destination website becomes responsible for any data it collects, under its own privacy policy. We do not sell your personal data.
5. Our legal basis for using your data
Under the UK GDPR, we rely on the following legal bases:
- Consent (Article 6(1)(a)) — for non‑essential analytics and advertising cookies. You can withdraw consent at any time.
- Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) — to keep the site secure, to respond to enquiries you send us, and to understand aggregate usage. We balance this against your rights and freedoms.
- Performance of a contract / steps before a contract (Article 6(1)(b)) — where you ask us about, or sign up for, a paid directory listing.
6. Sharing your data
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only with service providers that help us run the site (for example, hosting, analytics, email and advertising partners), and only as needed. Some of these providers may process data outside the UK; where they do, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as UK adequacy regulations or the International Data Transfer Agreement / Addendum.
7. How long we keep your data
- Email and directory enquiries — typically kept for up to 24 months after our last contact, then deleted, unless we need them for an active listing or legal reasons.
- Analytics data — retained in aggregated or pseudonymised form, usually no longer than 14 months at event level.
- Cookies — expire according to the lifespan set by us or the relevant third party; you can delete them sooner via your browser.
8. Your rights under UK GDPR
Subject to certain conditions, you have the right to:
- Access a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Rectify data that is inaccurate or incomplete.
- Erase your data ("right to be forgotten").
- Restrict or object to certain processing, including direct marketing and processing based on legitimate interests.
- Data portability — receive your data in a portable format.
- Withdraw consent at any time, without affecting processing already carried out.
To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@cooperatives.org.uk. We will respond within one month.
Complaints. If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you can complain to the UK's supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), at ico.org.uk or by calling their helpline. We would, however, appreciate the chance to address your concern first.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or the law. We will revise the "Last updated" date above when we do. Significant changes will be highlighted on this page.
This policy is general information and not legal advice. Related: Disclaimer · About us · Guides.