RSGB privacy policy

The RSGB is committed to safeguarding your privacy

This privacy policy statement explains how we will collect, process and disclose information about you. This statement may change from time to time, so please check this page periodically.

It addresses the following subjects:

It is important that you feel confident that your personal information is in safe hands.

The RSGB takes your privacy extremely seriously and takes all reasonable steps to ensure your information is secure.

The use of your personal information, why we collect it, and what we save varies depending on how you interact with the RSGB and what consent you have given us.

We will do our best to indicate this throughout this statement.

There may be other privacy policies that apply to certain services we provide.

We will make it clear when they apply, so please read them before you subscribe for those services.

The information we collect

We may collect a variety of personally identifiable or sensitive information from you.

For example, we may collect:

  • Any personal details you may choose to give us, such as your name, age, licence information, address, or email address. We store this so that we can keep in touch with you and manage your subscription

  • Your financial details, if you have made a purchase from us, such as books or a subscription

  • Any physical or mental health information that you may have given us in relation to your special needs to sit examinations. This is so we can administer any allowances or exemptions fairly

Where we collect information from

  • From you directly, for example when you fill out a membership form or when you make a purchase from the RSGB Shop

  • From external sources, for example when you interact with us on social media

  • From other organisations, for example when you give permission or where your personal data is publicly available, such as licence information

  • From your visits to our website, for example, we use software such as Google Analytics to identify which pages on our website are visited most. This information is collected automatically. It does not contain any personal or sensitive information, so browsing is anonymous. Our web server log retains IP address data for one month for the purpose of detecting and preventing fraud and unauthorised access, and to maintain the security of our systems

  • By email or contact forms, when you contact us with questions or to access our services

How we use your information

Whenever you interact or communicate with us, we collect personal information.

  • For contractual purposes: When you join the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) as a member, we need to use your personal information to provide the services to which you have subscribed. We will set up your RSGB membership account and then send your membership pack by post which will include your online Membership Services account login details. We will use your information to provide you with service-based and any critical membership communications and other membership services that you request

  • Service-based purposes: We may let you know about other ways you could help us—whether that is through events, volunteering, or educational activities. We may contact you by post, telephone or email to provide you with membership services or information about your membership. However, you are always able to change your preferences through the Membership Services portal at rsgb.org/members

  • By consent: When you opt to receive a service like the weekly GB2RS email alert we will use your data to provide that service

  • Processing volunteer and employee applications: Your personal information allows us to communicate with you and, if relevant, assess your suitability for the role

  • To improve our processes and services: We value any feedback, including complaints, in order to improve the services we provide

When you give us your details we will always tell you what we are going to do with them.

If we request your contact details for any reason, you will always have an option not to give them to us, or to opt out later on.

It is always your choice and you can change your mind at any time by logging into the Membership Services portal at rsgb.org/members.

How long we keep your information

We will retain your personal data only as long as necessary to provide the services to which you have subscribed.

At your request, or if you do not renew your membership within two years, we will delete any information that we no longer have a legitimate reason to retain, unless you ask us not to.

We need to retain sufficient information about you in the event of an insurance claim in the future so that we can identify you and confirm that you held membership for the relevant period.

We may also need to retain other information, such as financial details for six years, to comply with legal or statutory requirements.

As the reason for retaining certain types of information varies, the retention periods can vary significantly.

Please contact us directly if you require further information on specific retention periods.

Managing your communications from us

You can change your communication preferences at any time by going to the Membership Services portal at rsgb.org/members.

There is always an Unsubscribe link on emails you receive from us—e.g. GB2RS weekly news alerts, or membership benefits such as book vouchers.

Sharing your personal information

We may need to disclose your details, if required, to the police, regulatory bodies, or legal advisers.

We never sell your personal details to third parties.

We do share your data with RSGB committees and experts to respond to your questions.

We also share it with suppliers and contractors to fulfill RSGB membership services, including the QSL Bureau service and contest adjudicators, as well as for product deliveries to both members and non-members.

Sometimes we may need to share your information with external organisations; for example Ofcom for licensing purposes, and OpenReach for reporting VDSL issues.

Some of our suppliers are outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

Whenever we share or transfer your personal information, we comply with the standards set by GDPR and this privacy statement at a minimum.

Your information is secure

The security of your information is of utmost importance to us.

We seek to use reasonable measures to protect your information as required by the law, in line with industry standards, and in accordance with the policies the RSGB has set.

Sensitive data is held under strict security conditions. 

Your rights about your personal information

You have the right to:

  • Ask to see the personal data we hold about you. This is called a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR)

  • Request the correction of your personal data when incorrect, out of date or incomplete

  • Change your mind about your preferences, or withdraw consent for us to use your personal data

Data Subject Access Request (DSAR):

You can make a DSAR by writing to us at the email or postal address below, or by using the Radio Society of Great Britain DSAR form which is available on request.

If we do hold information about you, we will:

  • Describe the information we hold and tell you why we are holding it

  • Tell you who it could be shared with

  • Provide you with a copy of the requested information in an easy-to-understand format

Checking your identity:

To protect the confidentiality of your information, we will ask you to verify your identity before proceeding with any request you make under this privacy policy statement.

If you have authorised a third party to submit a request on your behalf, we will ask them to prove they have your permission to act.

Correction of personal information:

If we do hold information about you, you can ask us to correct or amend any inaccurate or incomplete information by emailing dpo@rsgb.org.uk or writing to us at the email or postal address below.

We will either make the requested amendments or provide an explanation as to why we are not making changes.

You can also log into the Membership Services portal at rsgb.org/members at any point to amend or delete information held in your membership account that has changed or is no longer accurate.

Cookies

On your first visit to the main RSGB website, you are given the choice of which cookies to accept from our website. Necessary (or functional) cookies are required for basic site functions to work so are enabled by default, and you are given the choice whether or not to opt into Statistics or Marketing cookies which are disabled by default.

Please note that RSGB online services like the Membership Services and Publications portals, separately set their own necessary cookies to provide services

You can also modify your browser settings to disable cookies if you prefer, but please note this may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website and, in particular, you may not be able to:

You can find out more about the RSGB’s cookie policy at rsgb.org/cookies.

Our website may contain links or references to external third party websites, which are provided for your information and convenience only.

We have no control over third party websites and cannot accept responsibility for either their content or their privacy policies.

Therefore, we are not responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide while visiting third party websites, and these sites are not subject to this privacy statement.

You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Further information

The laws that say how your personal information can be used are:

You can also contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to find out more about the types of personal information, its usage and your rights, or to report a concern.

Changes to the privacy policy

We keep our privacy policy under regular review.

Last updated: 3 September 2025.

How to contact us

If you want to request information about our privacy policy, or have any questions or concerns about your personal data, please email dpo@rsgb.org.uk, or write to:

Data Protection Officer
Radio Society of Great Britain
3 Abbey Court
Fraser Road
Priory Business Park
Bedford MK44 3WH