PRIVACY POLICY

Last Updated: September 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to the Zimbabwe Fellowship New England (ZFNE) website.

ZFNE is committed to respecting your privacy and protecting the personal information you provide when using our website, registering for events, contacting us, participating in fellowship activities, or engaging with our online services.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, protect, and disclose personal information obtained through our website.

By using this website, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Who We Are

Zimbabwe Fellowship New England (ZFNE) is a nondenominational Christian fellowship serving Zimbabweans and friends of Zimbabwe in the New England area and beyond.

Our mission is centred on fellowship, worship, prayer, faith, community, and supporting one another while preserving a strong spiritual and cultural connection across generations.

For questions concerning this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:

Zimbabwe Fellowship New England (ZFNE)
Email: [Insert Church Email Address]
Website: [Insert Website Address]
Address: [Insert Organisation Address, if applicable]

3. Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with our website, we may collect information such as:

Information you provide directly

This may include:

• Full name

• Email address

• Telephone number

• Postal or mailing address

• Church or fellowship affiliation

• Event registration information

• Information submitted through contact forms

• Prayer requests or messages you voluntarily submit

• Volunteer or ministry participation information

• Donation-related information where applicable

• Information you provide when communicating with us

We only ask for information that is reasonably necessary for the particular purpose for which it is collected.

Information collected automatically

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, such as:

• IP address

• Browser type

• Device type

• Operating system

• Pages visited

• Approximate location derived from technical information

• Date and time of visits

• Website usage and interaction information

This information may be used to understand how visitors use our website and to improve its security, performance, and functionality.

4. How We Use Your Information

We may use personal information for legitimate church and organisational purposes, including to:

• Respond to enquiries and messages

• Process event registrations

• Communicate information about fellowship activities and events

• Provide information requested by you

• Coordinate volunteers and ministry activities

• Send newsletters or church communications where you have requested or permitted them

• Process donations or other contributions where applicable

• Respond to prayer requests

• Maintain appropriate organisational records

• Improve our website and online services

• Protect the security and integrity of our website

• Meet legal, regulatory, accounting, or administrative requirements

We will not use your personal information for unrelated purposes without appropriate notice or, where required, your consent.

5. Prayer Requests and Sensitive Information

Our website may provide an opportunity for visitors or members to submit prayer requests.

Prayer requests may contain personal or sensitive information, including information about a person's family circumstances, relationships, wellbeing, or other private matters.

We encourage you not to include information that you do not want the church to receive or retain.

Where prayer requests are submitted electronically, access will be limited to authorised individuals who need the information to respond to or administer the request.

Prayer requests will not be publicly published without appropriate permission.

6. Event Registration

If you register for a church event, conference, meeting, retreat, or other activity through our website, we may collect information necessary to administer your participation.

This may include:

• Name

• Contact information

• Number of attendees

• Registration preferences

• Accommodation or logistical information where applicable

• Other information reasonably required to organise the event

Event registration information will be used primarily for administering the relevant event and communicating important event information.

7. Photographs and Videos

As a church and fellowship community, photographs and videos may sometimes be taken during services, conferences, celebrations, worship gatherings, community activities, and other events.

We may use selected photographs or videos for legitimate ministry and communication purposes, including:

• Our website

• Church newsletters

• Social media pages

• Event publicity

• Annual reports

• Promotional materials

Where an individual specifically requests that their identifiable photograph or video be removed from a publication under our control, we will consider the request and take reasonable steps where appropriate.

For children or individuals who require parental or guardian permission, we will follow our applicable safeguarding and consent procedures.

8. Donations and Payments

If the website allows donations, payments, or financial contributions, payment information may be processed through a third-party payment provider.

ZFNE does not intend to store complete payment card details on its own website unless specifically required and appropriately secured.

Payment providers may collect and process information in accordance with their own privacy policies and terms.

We recommend reviewing the privacy policy of any third-party payment provider used to make a donation or payment.

9. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies.

Cookies are small files stored on your device that help websites remember information and understand how visitors interact with the site.

We may use cookies for purposes such as:

• Website functionality

• Security

• Remembering preferences

• Understanding website traffic

• Improving website performance

• Analytics and reporting

Where required, non-essential cookies will only be activated after the appropriate consent has been obtained. Website visitors should be clearly informed about non-essential cookies and what they do. (ICO)

You may also be able to control cookies through your browser settings.

10. Third-Party Services and Links

Our website may contain links or embedded content from third-party services, including:

• Social media platforms

• YouTube or other video platforms

• Online event registration services

• Payment providers

• Maps and location services

• Email communication services

• Website analytics services

These third parties may collect information according to their own privacy policies.

ZFNE is not responsible for the privacy practices, security, or content of third-party websites or services.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of external services before providing them with personal information.

11. How We Protect Your Information

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and organisational measures to protect personal information against:

• Unauthorised access

• Accidental loss

• Misuse

• Unauthorised disclosure

• Alteration

• Destruction

Access to personal information will be limited to authorised individuals who require it for legitimate church or organisational purposes.

However, no method of transmitting or storing information online can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

12. How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or for legitimate organisational, legal, accounting, or record-keeping purposes.

Different types of information may therefore be retained for different periods.

When information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to securely delete, destroy, or anonymise it.

13. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell or rent your personal information.

We may share information with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our website or provide a service, such as:

• Website hosting providers

• Event registration platforms

• Payment processors

• Email communication providers

• Website analytics providers

• IT and technical support providers

We may also disclose information where required by law or where necessary to protect the rights, safety, or security of individuals or the organisation.

Where third parties process personal information on our behalf, we seek to use appropriate safeguards and arrangements.

14. Children's Information

Our website may contain information about children's or youth activities.

We do not knowingly seek to collect unnecessary personal information from children through our website.

Where information relating to children is required for church programmes, events, registration, safeguarding, or ministry activities, appropriate parental or guardian involvement and consent procedures should be followed.

Parents or guardians may contact us regarding information relating to their child.

15. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on applicable law, you may have rights relating to your personal information, including the right to:

• Ask what personal information we hold about you

• Request access to your information

• Request correction of inaccurate information

• Request deletion of information where appropriate

• Ask us to restrict certain uses of your information

• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

• Object to certain types of processing

• Request information about how your information is used

Where you have consented to receive communications from us, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

Consent should generally involve a clear affirmative action rather than silence or a pre-selected option. (ICO)

Some rights may be subject to legal or organisational limitations.

16. Email Communications

If you subscribe to our newsletter or other church communications, we may use your email address to send information about:

• Church services

• Conferences

• Fellowship events

• Community activities

• Announcements

• Ministry programmes

• Other relevant ZFNE activities

You can unsubscribe from non-essential email communications at any time by using the unsubscribe option provided in the email or by contacting us directly.

17. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our activities, website functionality, technology, or applicable legal requirements.

When we make significant changes, we may update the “Last Updated” date displayed at the beginning of this policy.

We encourage visitors to periodically review this page.

Privacy information should be reviewed and updated when an organisation's data-processing activities change. (ICO)

18. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise a privacy right, or have concerns about how your information is being handled, please contact:

Zimbabwe Fellowship New England

Email: [Insert Email Address]
Telephone: [Insert Phone Number]
Website: [Insert Website URL]
Postal Address: [Insert Address]

We will endeavour to respond to privacy-related enquiries within a reasonable period.

Important before publishing

Because I don't have the exact technical setup of your ZFNE website, I would not publish this completely unchanged. In particular, you should replace the bracketed contact details and confirm whether the website actually has:

• A contact form

• Event registration

• Prayer request forms

• Donations/payments

• Newsletter/email subscriptions

• Google Analytics or another analytics platform

• YouTube/video embeds

• Google Maps

• Facebook/Instagram social embeds

• A member login/database

• Any children/youth registration forms

Those details affect what the final policy should say. A privacy notice should accurately reflect the information the organisation actually collects and who it shares it with. (ICO).