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Squaddies

Privacy Policy

A quick summary of how we look after your information.

  • We use cookies to make the site work and improve it with your permission.
  • We store minimal personal data to handle your enquiries.
  • You can contact us anytime to view or delete your data.

This Privacy Policy explains how Squaddies collects, uses, and shares personal information when you visit our website or use our services. It also outlines the choices you can make about that information.

We only collect the data we need to operate the services that are currently live. By using the site, you agree to the collection and use of information in line with this Privacy Policy.

Interpretation and Definitions

Interpretation

Capitalised words have specific meanings defined below. The same definitions apply whether the terms appear in singular or plural form.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:

  • Account means a login issued directly by Squaddies so staff, contractors, or approved volunteers can access internal administration tools. Supporters do not create self-service accounts on the Website.
  • Affiliate means an organisation that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with a party. “Control” means owning half or more of the voting shares or similar rights.
  • Company (referred to as either “the Company”, “We”, “Us” or “Our” in this Agreement) refers to Squaddies.com.
  • Cookies are small files placed on your device that enable the Website to function, keep sessions secure, and remember preferences.
  • Country refers to the United Kingdom.
  • Device means any device that can access the Service such as a computer, a mobile phone, or a tablet.
  • Personal Data is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual.
  • Service refers to the Website and the live services described in this Policy.
  • Service Provider means any person or company that processes data on behalf of Squaddies, including for hosting, payments, analytics, or email delivery.
  • Usage Data refers to technical information collected automatically, either generated by the use of the Service or from the Service infrastructure itself (for example, the duration of a page visit).
  • Website refers to Squaddies, accessible from https://www.squaddies.com.
  • You means the individual accessing or using the Service, or the organisation on whose behalf that individual acts, as applicable.

What information do we collect?

Information you share with us

We collect the information you submit through forms, checkout pages, or direct messages. Depending on the form, this can include:

  • Names, email addresses, phone numbers, service status, and organisational details.
  • Locations, availability, skills, interests, and goals shared in support or partnership forms.
  • Messages you send through our contact form or supporter pathways, including safeguarding concerns.
  • Newsletter sign-up preferences (email address and optional first and last name).
  • Donation details supplied during Stripe Checkout such as donation amount, payment method type, and the name attached to the payment record.
  • Challenge registration details including training goals, service status, and consent choices for updates.

We store these submissions in the relevant database tables (for example, contact_submissions, newsletter_signups, donations, and challenge_registrations) and use them to respond to your enquiry or deliver the service you requested.

Information we collect automatically

Usage data may include your Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type and version, pages visited, the time and date of your visit, time spent on pages, and similar diagnostic data. We use this information to maintain site security and understand overall usage trends.

Accounts and sign-in

Only Squaddies staff and approved collaborators receive Accounts to access the admin dashboard. We do not offer public self-service accounts, and we do not integrate social login providers such as Google or Facebook. Sign-in relies on credentials issued directly by Squaddies.

Cookies and similar tools

We use essential cookies to keep the site secure and functional, including:

  • Session cookies (for example, squaddies_session) that authenticate staff logins and maintain session state.
  • CSRF protection cookies (for example, XSRF-TOKEN) that prevent cross-site request forgery on forms.
  • Remember me cookies that are only set if an internal user opts to stay signed in.

We do not use advertising cookies or social media pixels. When we enable analytics, we load Google Analytics 4 via Google Tag Manager using the ANALYTICS_ID environment variable. Analytics cookies are only used to measure anonymised, aggregate usage.

Some forms use Google reCAPTCHA to prevent abuse. reCAPTCHA sets its own cookies and processes device information in line with Google’s privacy policy.

Current live services and processors

The following services are live on squaddies.com today. Each relies on the listed processors:

  • Newsletter sign-ups: Collected email addresses (and optional names) are stored in our newsletter_signups table. When Mailchimp or ConvertKit credentials are configured, we securely forward the subscription to the relevant provider’s API. We do not share newsletter data with any other processors.
  • Donations: Donations are handled through Stripe Checkout. Stripe processes card details and returns confirmation data to us. We store the Stripe session ID, donor name (if supplied by Stripe), payment method type, amount in pence, and any project metadata in the donations table.
  • Contact and supporter forms: The general contact form, supporter pathway forms (volunteer builders, landlords, CSR, and Smart Support Hub interest), and safeguarding enquiries create records in contact_submissions. We send notification emails via our configured transactional email provider and, where a CRM webhook is configured, post basic submission details (name, email, subject, tags) to that CRM endpoint. Google reCAPTCHA is used on these forms when keys are configured.
  • Challenge registrations: Registrations for Get Fit to Fight challenges are stored in challenge_registrations. Confirmation emails and internal alerts are sent through our email provider.

How do we use your data?

We use Personal Data to deliver the services you ask for and to keep our community safe. In practice, this means we use the information to:

  • Provide and maintain the website, forms, newsletters, donations, and challenge registrations.
  • Reply to contact submissions, partnership offers, safeguarding concerns, and Smart Support Hub enquiries.
  • Process donations, send receipts, and meet our finance duties.
  • Send updates you choose to receive, such as newsletters or challenge information.
  • Review anonymous usage trends to improve site content and performance when analytics is enabled.
  • Protect our users by enforcing safeguarding workflows, stopping spam, and investigating abuse.
  • Follow the law, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements.

Smart Support Hub privacy and safeguarding

The Smart Support Hub is currently in development. Visitors can request early access, offer expertise, or explore integrations through dedicated forms. These submissions are stored in contact_submissions, enriched with the details you provide (for example, organisation, pilot goals, safeguarding expertise), and routed through our CRM automation service so the appropriate safeguarding lead can follow up.

Conversations in this pilot are not stored or monitored. Future moderated sessions will introduce optional transcript saving and safeguarding review routes before full release.

Smart Support Hub enquiries are handled by a small safeguarding-trained team. Access to submissions is role-based, and records are archived when no longer needed for safeguarding or partnership follow-up. If you have questions about Smart Support Hub privacy or need to raise a safeguarding concern, email safeguarding@squaddies.com or use our contact form.

Housing Applications & Sensitive Data

We collect housing application details so we can keep applicants and their households safe while arranging support. This includes the information submitted on the housing support and partner referral forms, along with any safeguarding notes you share with us.

  • Purpose: We use your details to assess eligibility, coordinate safeguarding responses, and keep you updated about the status of your housing request.
  • Retention: Housing safeguarding records are kept for 90 days unless the case needs to stay open for ongoing risk management.
  • Access: Only the housing safeguarding team and named on-call safeguarding leads can view or update these records.

If you have questions or need to escalate a safeguarding concern, email housing-safeguarding@squaddies.com.

Retention of Your Personal Data

We keep Personal Data only for as long as needed to meet the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. Contact submissions and supporter enquiries are reviewed regularly and archived when they are no longer required for follow-up. Donation records are retained to meet legal and financial reporting requirements. Newsletter records remain until you unsubscribe or request deletion.

Transfer of Your Personal Data

Our partners such as Stripe or Mailchimp may process your information outside your country. We put safeguards in place before sending data abroad.

Delete Your Personal Data

You have the right to ask us to delete the Personal Data we hold about you. If you have been issued an internal Squaddies Account, you can review limited profile information via the dashboard. For all other requests, including newsletter sign-ups, donations, and contact submissions, please contact us so we can verify your identity and action the request.

We may need to keep some information when the law requires it, such as donation records.

Disclosure of Your Personal Data

Service Providers and processors

We may share Personal Data with Service Providers to monitor and analyse the use of our Service, process donations, send emails, or provide CRM integrations. These partners include Stripe (payments), Mailchimp or ConvertKit (newsletter delivery when enabled), Google reCAPTCHA (form protection), Google Analytics (when enabled), and our transactional email provider.

Business transactions

If Squaddies takes part in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, we may transfer your Personal Data. We will let you know before a different Privacy Policy applies.

Law enforcement and legal requirements

Sometimes the law may require us to share your Personal Data with public authorities. We may also share it when we need to obey the law, protect our rights or property, stop wrongdoing, keep people safe, or defend against legal claims.

Security of Your Personal Data

We use security measures to protect your Personal Data. No internet system is perfectly secure, so we cannot promise complete safety, but we work hard to reduce risks.

Our Service may contain links to other websites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. Please read the privacy policy of every site you visit, because we cannot control their content, privacy policies, or practices.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the “Last updated” date.

We recommend reviewing this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

Who can you contact?

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us. You can also email our safeguarding team at safeguarding@squaddies.com for Smart Support Hub concerns.

You can contact us at any time to view, correct, or delete your data. We aim to respond as quickly as possible and will let you know if we need extra details to confirm your identity.