The MSE Charity is committed to safeguarding the privacy of our grant applicants and website visitors. This Privacy Policy sets out how we use and protect any information that you give to us while communicating with us via this website, email, or post. All information from applicants is treated in strict compliance with the UK GDPR and the UK Data Protection Act 2018.

The MSE Charity may update this policy from time to time. Please check this page periodically for changes. We may also notify current grant holders of significant changes by email.

Policy Status: Effective from 21 May 2018

Updated:  7 July 2026  

For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulations, The MSE Charity is a Data Controller registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office – Registration Number Z1348547. 

Our nominated representative is the Operations Manager, and their contact details can be found at the end of this policy.

The MSE Charity may collect, store, and use the following kinds of personal information:

• Grant Applications: Contact details (name, email address, job title, phone number) provided when submitting a grant application.

• Enquiries: Contact details (name, email address) provided when contacting us via email.

• Other Correspondence: Any additional information you choose to send to us.

We only collect the minimum amount of personal information necessary to provide our grant-making services or to comply with our legal responsibilities. Where possible, anonymisation is used to limit the exposure of personal information to our Grant Advisory Panel and Trustees.

Our lawful basis for processing your personal information is Legitimate Interests. This allows us to carry out vital grant-making services and activities, including:

• Assessing your grant application.

• Managing and monitoring any grant awarded.

• General administration or research purposes.

• Sharing relevant information with other funding organisations to assist in their own assessment of applications and grant monitoring.

We will not keep your personal information for longer than necessary and will destroy it securely according to our data retention policy:

• Grant Application Data: Retained for up to 8 years, after which it will be securely destroyed.

• Email Enquiries: Destroyed within 2 years of receipt.

We share data with trusted third-party data processors to assist in our grant-making activities:

• Google: Website tracking, website hosting, email server, and cloud data storage.

• Microsoft: Microsoft 365 services, including Outlook and Teams.

• DocHub: Online PDF editing and document signing platform.

• Lloyds Bank: Banking services.

• Haffner Hoff Ltd: Accounts and payroll administration.

Additionally, we may disclose your information:

1. To the extent that we are required to do so by law.

2. In connection with any ongoing or prospective legal proceedings.

3. To establish, exercise, or defend our legal rights (including fraud prevention and reducing credit risk).

We will never provide your information to third parties for marketing purposes or without your express consent.

Where necessary, we or our trusted third-party processors may transfer personal information outside of the United Kingdom. When doing so, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in full compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR. 

Please contact us if you require further details.

The MSE Charity is committed to ensuring that your information is secure. We have put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

• Device Security: All IT equipment is password-protected and safely stored. Local workstations, networks, and servers are protected against viruses and malware using industry-standard software.

• Backups: Data is backed up routinely using Google Drive cloud services and an encrypted external hard drive.

Note: No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security during transmission. You are responsible for ensuring that any electronic message you send us is free from viruses or defects.

This website uses session cookies (which expire when you close your browser) and persistent cookies (which remain until deleted or expired) to improve usability. We use cookies to keep track of you while you navigate the website and to recognise you upon return.

Most web browsers allow you to control or reject cookies through their settings. For instructions on how to adjust your browser settings, please visit the ICO Cookie Guidance.

Our website contains links to external websites. We are not responsible for the privacy policies, content, or practices of third-party websites.

Under data protection law, you have the following rights:

• The right to be informed about the collection and use of your data.

• The right of access to verify the lawfulness of processing (Subject Access Request).

• The right to rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data.

• The right to erasure (the right to be forgotten), which applies in certain circumstances.

• The right to restrict processing under specific conditions.

• The right to data portability to move or copy your data across different services.

• The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests. Note: We confirm we do not engage in direct marketing.

• Rights related to automated decision-making - Note: We do not make any decisions about you using automated processes.

We will respond to any rights requests within one calendar month. To exercise these rights, please contact the Operations Manager.

• Registered Address: The MSE Charity, c/o MONY Group, 1 Dean Street, London, England, W1D 3RB

• Operations Manager Email: info@msecharity.com

• Charity Registration Number: 1121320

• ICO Registration No: Z1348547

If you are unhappy with how we have processed your personal information, please contact our Operations Manager first. If you remain unsatisfied, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the regulator:

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF 

Helpline: 0303 123 1113 

Website: ico.org.uk