Last updated: 26 September 2026
Who we are
Friends of the ABYSO (“we”, “us”) is a charity registered in England & Wales (charity number 1219802). We raise funds and awareness in the UK for the Antigua & Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra. We are the data controller for the personal information described in this policy.
If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your information, please email info@abyso.org.uk.
The information we collect
- When you contact us using our contact form or by email: your name, email address, the topic you choose and the content of your message.
- When you donate or declare Gift Aid: your name, home address, donation details and your Gift Aid declaration. Card and bank payments are handled by our payment provider; we do not see or store your full card details.
- If you volunteer, fundraise or partner with us: the contact and organisation details you give us so we can work with you.
- When you visit this website: our hosting provider automatically records basic technical information, such as your IP address, browser type and the pages requested, to keep the site secure and working.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children through this website.
How we use your information
- To reply to your enquiries and keep a record of our correspondence.
- To process donations, claim Gift Aid from HMRC and send receipts and thank-yous.
- To manage fundraising, volunteering and corporate partnerships.
- With your consent, to send you news about our work and the orchestra. You can opt out at any time.
- To run, secure and improve this website.
- To meet our legal and regulatory obligations as a charity.
Our legal basis
Under UK data protection law (the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018) we rely on:
- Legitimate interests – to respond to enquiries, manage our relationships with supporters and run our website, where this does not override your rights.
- Consent – for email updates and newsletters. You can withdraw consent at any time.
- Legal obligation – to keep records for Gift Aid, accounting and charity regulation.
- Contract – where we need your information to carry out an agreement with you, such as a sponsorship.
Who we share it with
We never sell your personal information or share it with other organisations for their own marketing. We only share it with trusted service providers who help us run the charity, and only as far as they need it:
- Netlify – hosts this website and receives contact form submissions.
- Our email provider – to send and receive email.
- Donation and payment platforms – to process gifts securely.
- HMRC – when we claim Gift Aid on your donations.
- Google Fonts – supplies the typefaces used on this site, which means your browser connects to Google’s servers.
We may also disclose information if required by law or to protect the rights and safety of the charity or others.
International transfers
Some of our service providers, such as Netlify and Google, may process data outside the UK, including in the United States. Where this happens we rely on appropriate safeguards recognised under UK law, such as the UK Extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework or approved contract clauses.
How long we keep it
- General enquiries: up to two years after our last contact with you.
- Donation and Gift Aid records: six years after the end of the financial year they relate to, as required by HMRC.
- Mailing list details: until you unsubscribe.
Cookies
This website does not use cookies for advertising, analytics or tracking.
Your rights
You have the right to:
- ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
- ask us to correct information that is wrong or incomplete;
- ask us to delete your information;
- object to, or ask us to restrict, how we use it;
- ask us to transfer your information to another organisation; and
- withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on consent.
To use any of these rights, email info@abyso.org.uk. We will respond within one month.
Keeping your information safe
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information, and we limit access to trustees and volunteers who need it.
Complaints
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, please contact us first so we can try to put things right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be published on this page.