Privacy Policy

Maryam Support Line ("MSL", "we") offers free, confidential emotional and spiritual support to Muslim women. We know that contacting us takes trust. This policy explains what personal information we collect through our website and helpline, how we use it, and how we keep it safe.

MSL is an unregistered charity. We are the "controller" of your information under UK data protection law. Contact: salam@maryamsupportline.org.uk

Information we collect

If you book or have a call with us

  • Your name, or a pseudonym if you prefer to stay anonymous, and an email address when you book a call online, plus anything you write in the booking form.

  • Brief notes our listening volunteer writes after the call (a "call log"), such as the date, the general topic and any safeguarding concern. We do not record calls.

  • Feedback you choose to give about a call.

If you use our website

  • Information you send us: messages through the contact form, blog comments, and newsletter sign-ups.

  • Usage information collected by cookies and website analytics tools, such as pages visited, browser type and approximate location from your IP address.

If you donate

  • Your name, email address and donation amount. Payments are processed by a secure payment provider; we never see or store your full card details.

If you join our online community

  • Your username and anything you post in the MSL online community.

Sensitive information

When you talk to us, you may share information about your faith, your mental or physical health, your relationships or your safety. The law calls this "special category" information, and we give it extra protection. We only record what is needed to support you and to keep you safe, and our volunteers keep what you say confidential, as set out in our Confidentiality Policy.

Why we use your information and our lawful basis

  • Booking and providing your support call: legitimate interests (providing our charitable service). For special category information, the condition for not-for-profit bodies with a religious aim, or your explicit consent.

  • Keeping call logs so we can provide consistent, safe support: legitimate interests. Special category information as above.

  • Acting on a serious safeguarding concern: vital interests where someone's life is at risk, or a legal obligation; Data Protection Act 2018, Schedule 1.

  • Processing donations and keeping financial records: legal obligation (accounting) and legitimate interests.

  • Sending our newsletter: consent. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in each email.

  • Replying to messages and blog comments: legitimate interests.

  • Understanding how our website is used: consent, through our cookie banner.

Confidentiality and when we may share information

What you share on a call stays confidential. We never sell your information or use it for advertising.

We will only share information without your agreement in rare cases: if someone is in immediate danger or poses a serious risk to themselves or others, or if the law requires it. In that case we may contact emergency services, the police or social services. Where it is safe and possible, we will talk to you first.

We use trusted service providers to run our website, call bookings, calls, records and donations. They may only use your information on our instructions.

Some of these providers are based in, or store data in, the United States. Where that happens, transfers are protected by UK adequacy arrangements (such as the UK-US data bridge) or by approved contract clauses.

How long we keep your information

  • Booking details: 12 months after your last call.

  • Call logs: 7 years after your last call.

  • Records of a safeguarding concern: as long as needed, reviewed every year.

  • Donation records: 6 years, for accounting purposes.

  • Newsletter subscription: until you unsubscribe.

  • Contact form messages: 12 months.

  • Website analytics: 14 months.

Cookies

Our website uses essential cookies to work properly and, with your consent, analytics cookies to help us understand how it is used. You can change your choice at any time through the cookie banner or your browser settings.

Children

Our helpline is for women aged 18 and over. If a younger person contacts us, we will gently signpost them to services for young people, and act on any safeguarding concern.

Your rights

You have the right to:

  • ask for a copy of the information we hold about you

  • ask us to correct it

  • ask us to delete it, unless we need to keep it, for example for a safeguarding record

  • ask us to limit how we use it

  • ask for information you gave us in a format you can reuse

  • withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on consent

Your right to object. Where we rely on legitimate interests, you can object to how we use your information. We will stop unless we have strong reasons to continue, such as keeping someone safe.

To use any of these rights, email salam@maryamsupportline.org.uk. We will reply within one month.

Questions and complaints

Please contact us first at salam@maryamsupportline.org.uk, or use our Complaints Procedure. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO): ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or 0303 123 1113.

Changes to this policy

We review this policy at least once a year. Last updated: [10/11/2026].