Top tips to start your journey to GDPR readiness

Here are a few suggestions to help you get started towards compliance with the GDPR.

1.     Process – understand the journey that personal data takes through your club. What information do you collect and do you need that information? What do you tell people when you collect it? On what legal basis have you collected it? Where and how do you store that data? What do you do with it? When is it deleted? This will allow you to identify any areas of risk.

2.     Awareness – make sure that your volunteers are aware of the GDPR and data protection issues and that they know who to talk to if they receive a subject access request or if there is a breach.

3.     Policy – make sure the policies and procedures you have in place help your volunteers deal with data protection issues.

4.     Communication – make sure you tell individuals at the point of collection what you will do with their data and when you will delete it.

5.     ICO guidance – take a look at the 12 steps to take now and the Getting ready for the GDPR self-assessment tools.  The ICO also now offer a helpline. Representatives of small organisations should dial 0303 123 1113 and select option 4 to be diverted to staff who can offer support.

6.     British Fencing advice – if, having taken steps 1-5, you have any questions about GDPR then please email [email protected]. We will monitor the queries on a weekly basis and look to respond with updated FAQs. Please note that we do not have the resources to provide specialist advice.

The guidance given here is aimed at assisting British Fencing affiliated clubs and associations with identifying the key areas that they should be addressing as a result of the additional requirements arising from the upcoming introduction of GDPR. Clubs and associations will no doubt already have considered – and where appropriate have taken specialist advice – regarding the impact of existing UK Data Protection legislation insofar as that may impact their activities. It is similarly recommended that clubs and associations take appropriate independent advice if they have concerns or are still in doubt regarding specific issues having read this. There are some suggestions within this document as to where that advice may be sought, but those should not be viewed as exclusive.