Privacy Policy

Introduction

The Mentoring Hub ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and use our services.

We are a UK Charitable Organisation (CIO - Foundation, registration pending) providing education, training, and mentoring programmes designed to promote diversity and equality of opportunity in Digital Technology and STEM.

Information We Collect

Personal Information

We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you:

• Register for an account or apply to become a mentor
• Sign up for our programmes or events
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Contact us with enquiries
• Submit resources or programmes to our platform

This information may include:

• Name and contact details (email address, phone number)
• Professional information (job title, company, LinkedIn profile)
• Areas of expertise and interests
• Availability for mentoring sessions
• Any other information you choose to provide

Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information, including:

• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on pages
• Referring website addresses
• IP address (anonymised where possible)

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide and maintain our mentoring services
• Match mentors with mentees based on expertise and needs
• Process applications for our programmes
• Send you relevant updates about our services and events
• Respond to your enquiries and provide support
• Improve our website and services
• Comply with legal obligations

Legal Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we process your personal data based on:

• Consent: When you have given clear consent for us to process your personal data for a specific purpose
• Contract: When processing is necessary for a contract we have with you, such as providing mentoring services
• Legitimate Interests: When processing is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party, unless your rights override those interests
• Legal Obligation: When we need to comply with the law

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information with:

• Mentors and Mentees: To facilitate mentoring relationships, we share relevant contact and professional information between matched participants
• Service Providers: Third-party vendors who assist us in operating our website and providing services (e.g., hosting providers, email services)
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or governmental authority

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. When your data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it.

Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances
• Restriction: Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances
• Portability: Request transfer of your data to another organisation
• Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided below.

Cookies

Our website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us understand how you use our site. You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences.

We use:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us at:

Supervisory Authority

If you are not satisfied with our response to any complaint or believe our processing of your data does not comply with data protection law, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):