Privacy Policy

Last updated: 13 November 2026

Buchan Development Partnership (“BDP”, “we”, “us” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This policy explains how we collect, use and protect personal information when you visit bdp.scot, contact us or engage with our community development activities.

1. Who we are

Buchan Development Partnership is an independent, community-led charity supporting economic, social and environmental development across Buchan, Aberdeenshire.

We are responsible for deciding how personal information covered by this policy is used. This makes us the “data controller” under UK data protection law.

Company number: SC240119
Scottish charity number: SC034008
Registered office: Grieves House, Aden Country Park, Mintlaw, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, AB42 5FQ
Email: info@bdp.scot
Telephone: 01771 622071

Please use these contact details for any questions about this policy or how we handle your personal information.

2. Personal information we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

• Your name, email address, telephone number and postal address.

• The organisation or community group you represent and your role within it.

• Information you provide when asking for advice, support or information.

• Details relating to membership, volunteering, community projects, events or consultations.

• Your communication preferences and records of any consent you have given.

• Correspondence between you and BDP.

• Photographs, quotations or contributions you provide for publication.

• Technical information associated with website visits, such as IP addresses, browser information and security logs.

Please only provide personal information that is relevant to your enquiry. Avoid sending sensitive information about yourself or other people unless we have agreed that it is needed and how it should be provided.

3. How we collect information

We collect information directly from you when you contact us, request support, participate in our activities or provide information for our publications.

We may also receive relevant information from a community group you represent, a project partner or someone referring you to our services. Where appropriate, we will explain the source of that information and how we intend to use it.

Some technical information is collected automatically when you visit our website.

4. How we use information and our lawful bases

We use personal information only where we have a lawful basis under UK data protection law.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the effect on your privacy and balance our interests against your rights.

Providing information is usually voluntary. However, without relevant contact or project details, we may be unable to respond to your enquiry, provide support or administer your involvement. If particular information is required by law or under a contract, we will explain this when collecting it.

If an activity requires sensitive personal information, we will explain the purpose and the additional legal condition that allows us to use it.

Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time by contacting us. This does not affect the lawfulness of anything we did before you withdrew it.

5. Newsletters

Our newsletters are available to read through links on our website. You do not need to subscribe or provide your email address to access them.

Where a newsletter is hosted by an external publishing service, that provider’s privacy and cookie policies apply when you access its platform.

If you submit an article, photograph or other contribution for a newsletter, we will explain how any personal information will be used and obtain permission where appropriate.

6. Who we share information with

Where necessary for the purposes described in this policy, we may share relevant information with:

• Suppliers providing website hosting, IT support, email, document storage or communications services.

• Project partners and organisations involved in delivering support you have requested.

• Professional advisers, such as accountants, auditors and legal advisers.

• Funders or regulators where reporting requirements make this necessary.

• Public authorities where disclosure is required by law.

We limit the information shared to what is necessary. Where a supplier processes information on our behalf, we require appropriate contractual protections.

Where possible, project and funding reports use anonymous or aggregated information.

Information you agree to have published in a newsletter or on our website will be accessible to the public.

We do not sell personal information or share it with other organisations for their own direct marketing.

7. International transfers

Some technology providers may store or access personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where this happens, we ensure that an appropriate legal transfer mechanism applies, such as UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual safeguards, together with any additional measures required.

You can contact us for details of any international transfers affecting your information and the safeguards used.

8. How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.

We determine retention periods by considering:

• Whether an enquiry or support request is still active and whether follow-up is reasonably needed.

• The duration of a membership, volunteering relationship or community project.

• Relevant funding, audit, accounting and legal requirements.

• Whether records are needed to resolve a complaint or establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

• The continuing purpose of published material, including newsletters and records of community activities.

Published newsletters may remain available as a historical record of our work. We consider requests to remove personal information from these publications in light of the circumstances and applicable data protection rights.

We securely delete or anonymise information when it is no longer required. You can contact us for more specific information about retention periods.

9. Keeping information secure

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

Access is limited to people who need the information for their work. However, no website or method of electronic transmission can be guaranteed completely secure.

10. Cookies and website technology

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to support its operation. Details of the technologies used, their purposes, how long they remain on your device and available controls are provided in our Cookie Policy and any relevant cookie settings.

Where consent is legally required, we ask for it before placing or accessing those technologies. You can change your preferences through the website’s cookie controls, where available.

11. Other websites

Our website contains links to external websites and services, including online publications and community resources.

When you follow these links, the other organisation’s privacy policy applies to its collection and use of your information. Please read that policy before providing personal information.

12. Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, you have the right to:

• Request access to your personal information.

• Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.

• Ask us to delete information.

• Ask us to restrict how we use information.

• Request a portable copy of certain information.

• Withdraw consent where we rely on it.

Your right to object: You can object to processing based on legitimate interests because of your particular circumstances. You also have an absolute right to object to the use of your information for direct marketing.

These rights are subject to conditions and exemptions.

To exercise a right, contact info@bdp.scot or write to our registered office. We may need to verify your identity. We normally respond within one month, subject to any extension or other adjustment permitted by law.

13. Complaints

If you are concerned about how we have handled your information, please contact us by email, telephone or post using the details above so that we can investigate.

You also have the right to complain to the UK’s data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

Website: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
Telephone: 0303 123 1113

14. Changes to this policy

We review this policy and update it when our activities or legal requirements change. The latest version will appear on this page, with the date of the most recent update.