MK Food Bank is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly.

This notice explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and your rights.

Who We Are

Into The Community (trading as MK Food Bank) is a registered charity in England and Wales. Charity Number: 1084287.

MK Food Bank provides:

• Emergency food parcels
• Top-Up Shops
• Beyond Food referrals
• Volunteer opportunities

Into The Community is the organisation responsible for the personal information processed by MK Food Bank.

The Information We May Collect

Service Users:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone number
• Email address
• Household information
• Demographic information (such as age group, gender and ethnicity)
• Information about financial circumstances and support needs
• Voucher and Top-Up Shop usage history
• Information needed for safeguarding or service delivery

Volunteers:

• Contact details
• Skills and experience
• Emergency contact details
• Reference information
• Training records
• Information about support needs or reasonable adjustments where relevant
• Information relating to unspent criminal convictions where this is required to assess suitability for volunteering roles

Donors and Supporters:

• Contact details
• Donation information
• Gift Aid information
• Communications preferences

Website Users

• Information submitted through website forms
• Enquiries and correspondence

Why We Collect Information

We use personal information so that we can:

• Provide food and support services
• Manage voucher and Top-Up Shop access
• Make referrals to appropriate support services
• Recruit and support volunteers
• Manage donations and fundraising activities
• Respond to enquiries
• Meet safeguarding responsibilities
• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements

We may collect information relating to unspent criminal convictions to assess suitability for volunteering roles and to support safeguarding, health and safety, and risk management responsibilities.

How We Share Information

We will only share information where there is a legitimate reason to do so.

This may include:

• Trusted partner organisations providing support services
• Safeguarding agencies
• Emergency services
• Regulators and public authorities where required by law
• Professional advisers and insurers where necessary

Where possible, we will only share the information needed for the specific purpose.

How Long We Keep Information

We keep information only for as long as necessary.

Examples include:

• Service user records: normally 5 years after last contact
• Volunteer records: in accordance with our retention schedule
• Incident and safeguarding records: in accordance with legal, safeguarding and regulatory requirements
• Donor and supporter records: while required for fundraising, legal or financial purposes

Full details are available in our Retention Schedule.

Keeping Information Safe

We use appropriate security measures to protect personal information.

Access to information is restricted to people who need it for their role, and records are stored securely. 

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Know how your information is being used
• Request access to your personal information
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of information where appropriate
• Object to certain uses of your information
• Make a complaint about how your information is handled

Marketing and Communications

If you receive newsletters, fundraising communications or collection reminders from us, you can ask us to stop at any time.

Mailing lists include an unsubscribe option where appropriate.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or how we use your personal information, please contact:

MK Food Bank
Venture Church
Strudwick Drive
Oldbrook
Milton Keynes
MK6 2TG

Telephone: 01908 322800  
Email: office@mkfoodbank.org.uk
Website: www.mkfoodbank.org.uk

If you remain unhappy with how your information is handled, you have the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).