Last updated: 4 August 2026

The Bulkeley-Evans HMC Scholarship Fund respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect your information when you visit our website, contact us or apply for a scholarship.

The Bulkeley-Evans HMC Scholarship Fund is a registered charity in England and Wales, charity number 291660.

1. Who is responsible for your information?

The Bulkeley-Evans HMC Scholarship Fund is the data controller responsible for the personal information described in this policy.

You can contact us at:

The Administrator
The Bulkeley-Evans HMC Scholarship Fund
24 Saxon Close
Oake
Taunton
Somerset
TA4 1JA

Telephone: 07960 983 571
Email: neil.mason1955@gmail.com

2. Information we collect

The personal information we collect will depend on how you interact with us. It may include:

  • Your name and date of birth.
  • Your home address, telephone number and email address.
  • The name of your school.
  • Details of your proposed gap year project, including the organisation involved, destination, dates and objectives.
  • Information about your achievements and activities.
  • Financial information, including the cost of your project, your fundraising plans, financial need and relevant family circumstances.
  • References and supporting information provided by your school or Head.
  • Correspondence sent to us by email, post or through the website.
  • Reports, photographs, videos or other material supplied by scholarship recipients.
  • Technical information about your visit to the website, such as your IP address, browser type, device and pages visited.

Please avoid providing sensitive personal information unless it is relevant and necessary for your application. If you voluntarily provide information concerning your health or other sensitive circumstances, we will handle it with additional care and only use it where we have a lawful reason to do so.

3. How we collect your information

We may obtain information:

  • Directly from you when you contact us or submit an application.
  • From your parent or guardian where appropriate.
  • From your school, Head or another person providing a reference.
  • When you submit an acceptance form or a report following your project.
  • Automatically when you use our website, through cookies and similar technologies.
  • From service providers that help us operate the website and administer the Fund.

Applicants are advised that we contact the Head of their school to request a reference. This reference may contain personal information about the applicant.

4. How we use your information

We may use personal information to:

  • Receive, assess and administer scholarship applications.
  • Confirm that applicants meet the Fund’s eligibility requirements.
  • Contact applicants, schools, referees, parents or guardians.
  • Assess an applicant’s project, suitability and financial circumstances.
  • Select scholarship recipients and arrange payment of awards.
  • Monitor compliance with the conditions of an award.
  • Maintain appropriate financial, administrative and charity records.
  • Respond to enquiries and requests.
  • Protect applicants and support our safeguarding responsibilities.
  • Publish details of scholarship recipients and reports about completed projects, where appropriate.
  • Maintain, secure and improve our website.
  • Meet our legal and regulatory obligations.

We do not use personal information to make decisions based solely on automated processing.

5. Our lawful bases for using your information

Under UK data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for using personal information. Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on:

  • Legitimate interests: To operate and administer the Fund, assess applications, communicate with applicants and schools, maintain records and promote the Fund’s charitable work.
  • Steps taken at your request: To process and consider your scholarship application.
  • Legal obligation: To comply with charity, accounting, safeguarding, tax and other legal requirements.
  • Consent: Where we ask for permission to publish identifiable photographs, videos, reports or other information, or where consent is otherwise appropriate.

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time by contacting us. Withdrawal will not affect any processing that took place before consent was withdrawn.

If sensitive or special-category personal information is provided, we will only use it where an additional lawful condition applies, such as your explicit consent or the protection of someone’s vital interests.

6. Providing your information

You are not legally required to apply for a scholarship. However, we need the information requested in the application guidance to assess your eligibility and application.

If you do not provide the necessary information, we may be unable to consider your application or make an award.

7. Scholarship recipients, reports and photographs

We may publish the names of scholarship recipients, their schools, project organisations and destinations on our website or in materials about the Fund.

We may also wish to publish reports, extracts, photographs or videos supplied by recipients following their projects. Where appropriate, we will inform recipients about the intended use and obtain consent before publishing identifiable material.

Information published online may be viewed, copied or shared by other people. Although we can remove information from our own website, we may not be able to remove copies held elsewhere.

8. Sharing your information

We may share relevant information with:

  • The Fund’s Trustees and Administrator.
  • Your school, Head or referee.
  • Parents or guardians where appropriate.
  • Banks and payment providers involved in making an award.
  • Website hosting, email, IT and administrative service providers.
  • Professional advisers, auditors and regulators.
  • Law-enforcement agencies or other authorities where required by law.
  • Safeguarding authorities where necessary to protect an individual.

We do not sell or rent personal information to third parties.

Service providers acting on our behalf are only permitted to use personal information for the services they provide to us and must protect it appropriately.

9. International transfers

Some website, email or technology providers may store or process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections.

10. How long we keep your information

We only retain personal information for as long as it is reasonably required for the purpose for which it was collected and to meet our legal, financial and regulatory responsibilities.

When deciding how long to retain information, we consider:

  • The scholarship application and award cycle.
  • Whether the application was successful.
  • Financial and charity record-keeping requirements.
  • Safeguarding considerations.
  • The need to respond to enquiries, complaints or legal claims.
  • Whether consent has been given for information to remain publicly available.

Published names and project reports may remain on the website as part of the Fund’s historical record unless consent is withdrawn or there is another appropriate reason to remove them.

Information that is no longer required will be securely deleted or destroyed.

11. How we protect your information

We take reasonable organisational and technical measures to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure.

However, no email or internet-based service is completely secure. Applicants should take care when sending personal or sensitive information electronically.

12. Cookies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to function correctly, remember preferences, understand how visitors use the website and improve its performance.

Some cookies are essential for the website to operate. Non-essential cookies, including analytics or third-party cookies, should only be used with your consent where required by law.

You can manage or delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may affect how parts of the website operate.

13. Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including gap year organisations and social media services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, security or content of those websites.

We recommend reviewing the privacy policy of any external website before providing personal information.

14. Information about young people

Scholarship applicants may be under the age of 18. We aim to explain clearly how applicants’ information will be used and to handle young people’s information fairly and securely.

Where appropriate, we may involve or seek permission from a parent or guardian, particularly when handling sensitive information or publishing photographs, videos or reports.

15. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

  • Ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
  • Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Ask us to delete your information.
  • Ask us to restrict how we use your information.
  • Object to certain uses of your information.
  • Ask us to transfer information you provided to another organisation.
  • Withdraw your consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis.

You have the right to object where we use your personal information on the basis of our legitimate interests.

These rights are not absolute and may depend on why we are using the information. To exercise a right, please contact the Administrator using the details above.

16. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we use your personal information, please contact us first so that we can investigate.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: www.ico.org.uk

17. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to our activities, website or legal responsibilities. The latest version will be published on this page with the updated date.