Privacy notice and policy (2026)

Cambridge Interfaith Programme, Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge

Last updated: April 2026

1. Introduction

This page explains how and why we collect and use your personal information when you visit this web site (www.interfaith.cam.ac.uk). It also explains how we use our record system in association with core services, including event management, newsletters and network facilitation. 

Below we explain how the Cambridge Interfaith Programme (“CIP”), based in the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, collects, uses and stores personal information. 

Who will process my personal information?

The information published here applies to the use of your personal information (also known as 'personal data') by the University of Cambridge through the viewing or use of this site, and the Civi360 record system which underpins CIP communications and our Knowledge Hub (CIKH: cikh.civi360.com).

General personal information collected on our websites

When you visit any of the websites within the Cambridge domain, the University holds certain information about you for service and security reasons. For more information on this, please see: https://www.cam.ac.uk/about-this-site/privacy-policy.

(Analytics data is collected only if you accept optional cookies.)

2. Specific personal information collected by CIP and CIKH 

2.1 Individuals joining our mailing lists

If you subscribe to one or more CIP newsletters, we collect:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Subscription preferences
  • Records of consent and opt‑in/opt‑out actions

2.2 Event participants

When you register for an event, we may collect:

  • Name and contact details
  • Institutional affiliation (if relevant)
  • Accessibility requirements and/or dietary information (as necessary to administer the event)
  • Session or participation preferences
  • Any optional information you provide

2.3 Individuals providing organisational information

Where you sign up on behalf of an organisation (eg, a school, charity, company, university department) or provide organisational details during interactions with us, we may collect and store:

  • Organisation name and contact details
  • Your role within the organisation
  • Information provided to support partnership, collaboration or network participation

We may also record actions associated with organisational engagement, such as:

  • Meetings arranged
  • Event participation
  • Collaborative activity or enquiries

This helps CIP understand how organisations interact with our work and manage relationships appropriately.

3. How we collect and store your information

3.1 Civi360

As of April 2026, we use Civi360, a UK‑hosted instance of CiviCRM provided by Circle Interactive Ltd, to manage:

  • Newsletter subscriptions
  • Contact records
  • Interaction history
  • Event‑related information*

Civi360 replaces MailChimp and Sympa for subscription management. All standard opt‑in / opt‑out options continue to operate as before.

*We are phasing out use of Google Forms, Microsoft Forms, and Sympa mailing lists. Please see our previous privacy policy for information about historic use.

3.2 Event registration (transition in progress)

We regret that the Event tools on this website do not allow us to alert you to third party links or provide a warning where the button to register for an event will take you outside the Cambridge web domain (cam.ac.uk). 

The summary for each event (information above the button) will tell you if the main organiser is another organisation. Sighted users can also preview the link when mousing over a button. 

Information below concerns the registration options we use for CIP-hosted events:

During 2026 we are moving event registration processes into our Civi360 system.

As a result, you will be directed to cikh.civi360.com to complete registration:

  • Some information (e.g., dietary or accessibility preferences) may be retained securely within the system between events
  • This is intended solely to improve user experience and reduce repeated data entry
  • You can request correction or deletion of this information at any time

4. Why we use your information

We process personal information only when lawful and necessary, including:

  • Delivering newsletters and communications you have opted into
  • Administering events and supporting participation
  • Managing enquiries, collaboration and partnership discussions
  • Meeting University obligations for security and compliance
  • Supporting CIP’s research, outreach and public‑engagement activities
  • Maintaining accurate records of organisational engagement
  • Improving our services and website (analytics anonymised unless otherwise stated) 

5. Legal basis for processing

Depending on the context, processing is based on

  • Consent: for mailing list subscriptions and optional communications
  • Legitimate interest: for managing events, programme participation and organisational relationships
  • Public task: supporting the University’s teaching, research and outreach mission
  • Legal obligation: where required for compliance with UK law or University policy

You may withdraw consent for optional communications at any time.

6. Sharing your information

We may share personal information:

  • Within the University of Cambridge (for administrative and operational purposes)
  • With Circle Interactive Ltd, our Civi360 service provider, under appropriate contractual safeguards (in line with University data‑sharing requirements) 
  • With trusted event partners when necessary and only with your knowledge
  • With government authorities where legally required

We do not transfer your data outside the UK unless appropriate protections are in place.

7. Organisational contacts and the Knowledge Hub Network

CIP maintains a Knowledge Hub network, through which individuals and organisations connect to share expertise and participate in activities.

  • Where you connect with the Knowledge Hub as an individual, you will be offered clear guidance about how your personal data is used.
     
  • Where you connect on behalf of an organisation, or supply organisational information, we will store that information and may record relevant actions (such as attendance at events, meetings, or collaborative work) to help us understand how organisations interact with our activities.

This information is used for CIP’s legitimate academic and outreach purposes, consistent with University data protection responsibilities.

Where you give consent (normally as an organisation), we may also publish limited information from these records (e.g. organisation name, interests and most recent activity) as part of our network overview. This is intended to aid and catalyse networking and collaborations.

8. Cambridge contacts and the Research Forum

CIP convenes a Research Forum for University of Cambridge scholars, alumni and associates. Membership is by application.

For prospective Members, our team uses information you provide, public sources and University of Cambridge systems to check and process your application and we retain such records for the duration of your membership.

We also undertake periodic checks to ensure information provided remains accurate and maintain a log of such activity (e.g. date and rationale for any updates). 

When Members leave the University (e.g., at graduation, contract end, or retirement), we will contact you with options for remaining in touch. Where someone elects not to migrate to the Forum Alumni network, we will retain a record of your historic membership indefinitely unless and until you expressly request deletion. This helps us report accurately on Forum activities and maintain openness to future collaboration.

Current Members may choose whether to appear in our public Forum member directory. All Member records are available for the CIP team to consult and may be shared with other University of Cambridge employees where appropriate. With your permission, we may also use your record to determine whether to recommend you for consultancy opportunities and/or research commissions.

9. How long we keep your information

We keep personal data only as long as necessary and in line with University retention expectations:

  • Mailing list data: retained until you unsubscribe or ask for removal
  • Event data: retained until logistical and reporting obligations are complete
  • Re‑usable preferences (eg, dietary): retained only to simplify future event registration
  • Technical logs: retained for short periods (eg, up to 3 months), per University website security practice 
  • Forum and Knowledge Hub records: retained until a record owner requests deletion. Historic data may be deleted after seven years, or sooner if we detect that the information provided is invalid (eg, for organisational records where the URL and contact email address are no longer functional).

10. Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

  • Request access to your personal data
  • Request correction of inaccurate data
  • Withdraw consent for optional communications
  • Request deletion or restriction of processing
  • Object to certain forms of processing
  • Raise concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

For rights requests, see the University’s Information Compliance Office guidance:
https://www.information-compliance.admin.cam.ac.uk/data-protection

11. Other circumstances

Impact

From time to time, we collect information to help assess how University of Cambridge research is being shared and its impact.  This information is collected anonymously unless otherwise indicated. Where personal information is requested, further information is provided so that you can decide whether to consent. 

Third-party offers

Where we partner with third parties to provide offers (for example, discount on recent publications), we may refer you to other external websites. We will signpost such links clearly, often by providing the identifying web address within the link text. The event listings are an exception to this rule, due to limitations with the template.

Applications

If you apply for a course or learning opportunity organised by the Cambridge Interfaith Programme, we may collect personal data relevant to your application. The detail of this is normally provided in the Terms and conditions available via the relevant webpages (e.g. Summer School, volunteers). 

Payments

If we ask you to pay something (a registration fee, for example), we will refer you to the University's online store. Your payment information will be held securely and processed in accordance with the University's rules. The store team will share with us essential information so that we can provide you with the relevant service.

If you are interested in providing financial support for the activities of the Cambridge Interfaith Programme, we may transfer you to webpages managed by the Cambridge University Development and Alumni Relations team. These pages comply with the University's privacy policy for alumni and supporters. 

If we need to pay you, we follow the policies and procedures of the University of Cambridge with regard to data handling and retention. Please see links at the bottom of this page.

Research data: not included

The information on this page is concerned with data collected online. It does not cover the collection or use of personal data for research projects. 

Where you are asked to provide your data for such purposes, the lead researcher is responsible for providing information about the purposes and the arrangements for data handling and security, in line with University policy and complying with ethical standards.

Further information

We follow the general principles established by the University of Cambridge with regard to data handling and retention. At the end of this page, we have included some links to institutional policies that shape how we handle your personal information, and explain your rights under data protection legislation. 

 

12. Contact us

Cambridge Interfaith Programme
Faculty of Divinity
University of Cambridge
West Road, Cambridge CB3 9BS
Email: team@interfaith.cam.ac.uk

University Data Protection Office:
https://www.information-compliance.admin.cam.ac.uk/data-protection