Empowered by Education Conference Privacy Policy

Last updated 18 June 2026

1. About this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how personal data will be collected, used, stored and shared in connection with the Empowered by Education Conference.

It applies to people registering for, attending, participating in, speaking at, supporting, or otherwise engaging with the conference.

This policy should be read alongside the conference registration form. The registration form allows participants to choose which organisations may contact them after the conference, which communication channels may be used, and whether their details may be shared with relevant Windle International member organisations or recognised alumni associations.

2. Lead contact for data protection queries

For practical purposes, Windle Trust International will act as the main contact point for questions about conference registration data, privacy rights, consent withdrawal, and data-sharing queries.

Please contact:

Alex Bent
Windle Trust International
37a Oxford Road
Oxford
OX4 2EN
Email: alumni@windle.org.uk

3. Who is involved in the conference?

The conference is being organised by:

Windle Trust International
Windle International
The Hugh Pilkington Charitable Trust

For clarity:

Windle Trust International is responsible for operations and activities in Sudan, South Sudan, Somaliland, and the Postgraduate Programme globally, including Uganda and Kenya.
Windle International, together with its member organisations, is responsible for operations in Uganda, Kenya, and Somalia. Its member organisations are: Windle International Kenya, Windle International Somalia and Windle International Uganda.
The Hugh Pilkington Charitable Trust is a core donor to both organisations and to the Postgraduate Programme in particular.

For conference registration, administration, delivery and evaluation, Windle Trust International, Windle International and The Hugh Pilkington Charitable Trust will share responsibility for deciding how relevant conference data is used.

For future communications after the conference, each organisation that contacts you will be responsible for its own use of your data.

4. What personal data we collect

We may collect the following types of personal data through the conference website, registration process, related forms, and related communications:

name;
contact details, including email address, phone number and WhatsApp number where provided;
country of residence, origin, or connection;
organisation, institution, scholarship programme or alumni affiliation;
role, job title or professional background, where relevant;
attendance details;
dietary requirements;
accessibility requirements;
travel or accommodation-related information, where relevant;
emergency contact details, where required;
communication preferences;
permissions for future communications;
permissions relating to data sharing with relevant member organisations or alumni associations.

We will only collect information that is necessary or useful for the purposes explained in this policy.

5. Use of the conference website

This Privacy Policy also applies to personal data collected through the Empowered by Education Conference website and any linked conference registration page.

When you visit the conference website, we may collect limited technical information about your visit. This may include your IP address, device type, browser type, pages visited, approximate location derived from technical data, referring website, and the date and time of your visit.

We may use this information to:

operate and secure the website;
understand how visitors use the website;
identify and fix technical problems;
improve website content and accessibility;
monitor the effectiveness of conference communications;
support registration, enquiry handling and conference administration.

Where the website includes a registration form, enquiry form, newsletter sign-up, embedded form, booking tool, payment tool or other interactive feature, the information you provide through that feature will be used for the purposes explained at the point of collection and in this Privacy Policy.

The website may use cookies or similar technologies. Some cookies may be necessary for the website to work properly, such as security, accessibility or form-function cookies. Where we use optional cookies, such as analytics or marketing cookies, we will explain this and ask for consent where required.

The website may also contain links to third-party websites or services, including registration platforms, mapping services, video platforms, payment providers, social media platforms or partner websites. Those third parties are responsible for their own privacy practices. You should read their privacy information when using their services.

Personal data collected through the website may be processed by website hosting providers, analytics providers, form providers, mailing platforms, registration platforms or other service providers acting on behalf of the conference organisers. These providers must only use personal data for agreed purposes connected to the website, registration process or conference administration.

6. How we use your personal data

We may use your personal data to:

register you for the conference;
confirm your attendance;
communicate with you about the conference;
manage event logistics;
prepare attendance lists, name badges, seating plans or session lists;
manage dietary, accessibility or other reasonable requirements;
support safeguarding, safety and welfare arrangements where necessary;
coordinate participation with the organising organisations;
evaluate the conference;
produce internal reports about attendance, participation and outcomes;
contact you after the conference where you have given permission;
share your details with relevant organisations or alumni associations where this is necessary for conference delivery or where you have given permission.

7. Lawful bases for using your data

We will rely on different lawful bases depending on the purpose.

For conference registration, administration and delivery, we may rely on:

legitimate interests, where processing is necessary to organise, administer and evaluate the conference;
contract or pre-contractual steps, where processing is necessary to manage your registration and participation;
legal obligation, where we are required to process data for legal, regulatory, safeguarding or safety reasons.

For optional future communications, and for some types of sharing with Windle International member organisations or recognised alumni associations, we will usually rely on your consent.

Where you provide information about dietary requirements, accessibility requirements, health-related needs, or safeguarding-related matters, we will use that information only where necessary to support your participation, safety, wellbeing, access needs, or dietary requirements.

8. Sharing between the conference organisers

Relevant registration information may be shared between:

Windle Trust International;
Windle International;
The Hugh Pilkington Charitable Trust.

This sharing may take place where necessary to:

plan and deliver the conference;
manage attendance and participation;
communicate with participants;
support reporting and evaluation;
coordinate post-conference follow-up where participants have given permission.

The organisations will not use the conference registration data for unrelated purposes.

9. Use of data by Windle Trust International

Windle Trust International may use relevant participant information for conference administration, event delivery, reporting, evaluation, and follow-up.

Where you give permission, Windle Trust International may retain your contact details and contact you after the conference about alumni activities, events, opportunities, fundraising, research, programme updates, and related communications.

This may include communications connected to Windle Trust International’s operations and activities in Sudan, South Sudan, Somaliland, the UK, Uganda, and the Postgraduate Programme globally.

Windle Trust International will not use conference-specific operational information, such as dietary requirements, accessibility needs, emergency contact details or similar logistical information, for future communications unless this is necessary for a specific purpose you have been told about.

10. Use of data by Windle International

Windle International may use relevant participant information for conference administration, event delivery, reporting, evaluation, network coordination, and follow-up.

Where you give permission, Windle International may retain your contact details and contact you after the conference about alumni activities, events, opportunities, network updates, programme-related communications, and related organisational communications.

Windle International works through a UK-based secretariat and with legally distinct member organisations in Kenya, Uganda and Somalia. Sharing with those member organisations is explained separately below.

Windle International will not use conference-specific operational information, such as dietary requirements, accessibility needs, emergency contact details or similar logistical information, for future communications unless this is necessary for a specific purpose you have been told about.

11. Sharing with The Hugh Pilkington Charitable Trust

The Hugh Pilkington Charitable Trust may receive participant information relevant to its role as a core donor to Windle Trust International, Windle International and the Postgraduate Programme.

This may include:

participant name;
contact details;
country or programme connection;
scholarship, institution or course history;
alumni relationship;
relevant communication permissions.

The Hugh Pilkington Charitable Trust will not receive conference-specific operational information unless it is necessary for conference delivery, reporting, evaluation or agreed follow-up. This means that information such as dietary requirements, accessibility needs, emergency contact details or similar logistical information should not normally be shared with The Hugh Pilkington Charitable Trust.

Where you give permission, The Hugh Pilkington Charitable Trust may contact you after the conference about relevant events, opportunities, updates, donor-supported activities, legacy fundraising, and related communications.

12. Sharing with Windle International member organisations

Windle International works with legally distinct member organisations in Kenya, Uganda and Somalia.

Where relevant, your details may be shared with:

Windle International Kenya;
Windle International Uganda;
Windle International Somalia.

This may happen where the member organisation is connected to your country, programme, institution, scholarship, alumni relationship, or conference participation.

Member organisations may receive your details for conference administration and participant coordination. They may only contact you after the conference for alumni activities, events, opportunities or related communications where you have given the relevant permission, or where another lawful basis applies.

Where data is shared with Windle International member organisations, sharing should be limited to participants who have a relevant connection to that organisation, unless broader sharing is necessary for conference administration and is clearly authorised by the conference organisers.

Windle International member organisations must only use the data for the purposes explained in this policy and must not share it onwards without appropriate authorisation.

13. Sharing with alumni associations

Your details may be shared with relevant recognised alumni associations where:

the association is connected to your country, institution, scholarship, programme or alumni relationship; and
sharing is necessary for conference delivery; or
you have given permission for future alumni communications.

This may include:

Windle Trust International Alumni Association of South Sudan;
Windle International Kenya | Somalia Alumni Connect Association

Where data is shared with recognised alumni associations, sharing should be limited to participants who have a relevant connection to that association, unless broader sharing is necessary for conference administration and is clearly authorised by the conference organisers.

Alumni associations may use the data only for agreed alumni-related purposes, such as events, opportunities, networking, updates, and alumni engagement. They must not use the data for unrelated purposes or share it further without appropriate permission.

14. International access and sharing

Some of the organisations, member organisations and alumni associations involved in the conference operate outside the UK. Your data may therefore be accessed from, or shared with recipients in, countries including Sudan, South Sudan, Somaliland, Uganda, Kenya and Somalia.

This may be necessary for:

conference administration;
participant coordination;
alumni engagement where you have given permission;
communications connected to your country, programme, institution, scholarship or alumni relationship.

Where personal data is shared with a separate organisation outside the UK, the conference organisers will take steps to ensure that international sharing is lawful, proportionate and subject to appropriate safeguards or conditions.

15. Future communications

During registration, you can choose which organisations may contact you after the conference.

You may choose to receive future communications from:

Windle Trust International;
Windle International;
The Hugh Pilkington Charitable Trust;
relevant Windle International member organisations;
relevant recognised alumni associations.

Future communications may include:

alumni activities;
events;
opportunities;
programme updates;
research;
fundraising;
legacy fundraising;
donor-supported activities;
network updates;
related organisational communications.

You can withdraw your permission or unsubscribe at any time.

For email, WhatsApp and SMS/text communications, we will use the channels you select in the registration form.

16. Photography, filming and media

Photography and filming may take place during the conference.

Images, recordings, interviews or quotations may be used by the conference organisers and relevant partners for:

conference reporting;
websites;
newsletters;
social media;
donor communications;
future event promotion;
internal and external communications.

General event photography may include crowd shots, room shots, speakers, panel sessions, networking and general conference activity.

If you do not wish to appear in general event photographs or recordings, please tell the conference team in advance or at the registration desk. We will take reasonable steps to respect this.

Where we wish to use clearly identifiable individual photographs, interviews, named profiles, testimonials or direct quotations, we may ask for separate permission.

17. Special category data

Some information you provide may be more sensitive, such as accessibility requirements, health-related information, dietary requirements that reveal religious or health information, or safeguarding-related information.

We will use this information only where necessary to support your participation, safety, wellbeing, access needs, or dietary requirements. Access to this information will be limited to those who need it for conference delivery.

Special category data, such as dietary, health, accessibility, safeguarding or welfare-related information, should not be shared for post-conference communications, donor communications, fundraising, alumni networking, or other non-operational purposes.

18. Who may have access to your data?

Access may be given to authorised staff, representatives or service providers connected to:

Windle Trust International;
Windle International;
The Hugh Pilkington Charitable Trust;
Windle International Kenya;
Windle International Uganda;
Windle International Somalia;
relevant recognised alumni associations;
conference venues;
registration or event management providers;
communications, website or mailing platforms;
photographers, videographers or media providers where relevant.

Service providers will only be allowed to use personal data for agreed conference-related purposes.

19. Where your data will be stored

Conference registration data is likely to be stored on organisational SharePoint drives and related Microsoft 365 systems controlled by the organising organisations.

Access to files and folders should be limited to authorised staff or representatives who need the data for conference administration, participant coordination, reporting, follow-up communications, or other purposes explained in this policy.

Where data is exported from the registration platform or SharePoint, the export should be stored securely, access should be limited, and the data should not be copied into personal accounts, unmanaged devices, or unauthorised systems.

20. How long we keep your data

We will not keep your personal data for longer than necessary.

Conference registration and administration records will normally be kept for up to 12 months after the conference for administration, reporting, audit, donor reporting, evaluation, and follow-up purposes.

Where you have given permission for future communications, the relevant organisation may retain your contact details until:

you withdraw your permission;
you unsubscribe;
the organisation no longer needs the data for the stated purpose;
or the organisation’s own retention policy requires deletion or review.

Records of consent, permissions, withdrawals and unsubscribes may be retained as necessary to demonstrate compliance and ensure that your communication preferences are respected.

21. How we protect your data

We will take appropriate steps to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

These steps may include:

limiting access to authorised people only;
using secure organisational systems where available;
avoiding unnecessary sharing of full datasets;
limiting data shared with member organisations or alumni associations to relevant information;
separating conference administration data from post-conference communication data where practical;
not sharing dietary, accessibility, health, safeguarding or welfare information for non-operational purposes;
using password protection, secure links or controlled access where appropriate;
maintaining records of permissions and withdrawals;
requiring recipients to use the data only for agreed purposes.

22. Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have the right to:

request access to your personal data;
ask for inaccurate data to be corrected;
ask for your data to be deleted in certain circumstances;
object to certain uses of your data;
restrict certain processing;
withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.

These rights may depend on the lawful basis and circumstances of the processing.

23. Withdrawing consent or unsubscribing

You can withdraw consent or unsubscribe from future communications at any time.

Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before your withdrawal.

If you withdraw consent for future communications, the relevant organisation should stop sending you those communications, but may retain a limited record to ensure your preference is respected.

To withdraw consent or update your preferences, please contact:

Alex Bent
Email: alumni@windle.org.uk

24. Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal data is being used, please contact us first so that we can try to resolve the issue.

Contact: