Privacy policy

How we handle your personal data

Mastering Mountains Charitable Trust
Charity registration: CC54029
Last updated: 19 August, 2026

Kia ora and welcome

Mastering Mountains Charitable Trust ("Mastering Mountains", "we", "us", "our") respects your privacy and is committed to handling your personal information openly and responsibly, in line with the Privacy Act 2020 (New Zealand). This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what rights you have.

This policy applies to anyone who interacts with us, including through our website, newsletter sign-ups, event registrations, our online store, donations, and applications to our programmes.

1. What personal information we collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us.

Newsletter sign-ups

  • Name

  • Email address

Event sign-ups (e.g. seminars, the Adaptive Adventure Film Festival)

  • Name

  • Contact details (email, and phone number if provided)

  • Accessibility or dietary requirements, where relevant to the event

  • Ticket or booking details

Purchases (our online store)

  • Name

  • Contact details

  • Billing and delivery address

  • Payment information (processed securely by our payment provider — see Payment information below)

  • Order history

Donations

  • Name

  • Contact details

  • Payment information (processed securely by our payment provider)

  • Donation amount and history, for receipting and (where relevant) tax-credit purposes

Programme applications (in-person rehabilitation programme and online mentoring programme)

  • Name, date of birth and address

  • Emergency contact details

  • Your diagnosis (Multiple Sclerosis, Functional Neurological Disorder, or other neurological condition) and mobility status

  • A letter from a health professional (e.g. GP, neurologist, neurology nurse, physiotherapist, neurophysiologist, psychologist or occupational therapist) confirming your diagnosis and your current health status and capacity to pursue your outdoor goal — including mobility, pain, fatigue and general health status

  • Results from psychometric assessments we use to understand your starting point and tailor support, including the Adult Hope Scale (AHS) and Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (ESES)

General website use

  • Information collected through cookies or analytics tools — see Cookies and analytics below

We only collect information that is relevant to the purpose it's collected for, and where possible we collect it directly from you.

2. Health and other sensitive information

Information about your health or neurological condition is sensitive personal information. We collect this as part of programme applications — including a supporting letter from a health professional, your self-reported diagnosis and mobility status, and results from psychometric assessments (such as the Adult Hope Scale and Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale) — so we can understand your needs, assess eligibility, and make sure our programmes are safe and appropriate for you.

  • We ask you to share only what's needed for us to assess and support your application.

  • Individual health and assessment information is reviewed by staff, trustees and clinical advisors directly involved in assessing applications and delivering programmes, all of whom are bound by confidentiality obligations.

  • We do not use health information for marketing purposes.

  • We do not share your identifiable health information with third parties without your consent, except where required by law (for example, in a health and safety emergency).

  • We may use de-identified or aggregated health and assessment data (where individuals cannot reasonably be identified) for research, evaluating our programmes, building our evidence base, and reporting to funders. If you have questions about this, or would prefer your information not be used in this way, please contact us.

3. How we collect your information

We collect personal information when you:

  • subscribe to our newsletter or mailing list

  • register for an event, seminar or the Adaptive Adventure Film Festival (via our website or through Tally.so forms)

  • make a purchase through our online store

  • make a donation

  • apply for one of our programmes (via our website or through Tally.so forms)

  • contact us directly by email, phone or in person

  • interact with our social media accounts

Occasionally we may also receive information about you from a third party, such as a referring clinician or rehabilitation provider — always with your knowledge and, where required, your consent.

4. Why we collect and how we use your information

We use your personal information to:

  • send you newsletters and updates about Mastering Mountains, our programmes, grant recipients and supporters (you can unsubscribe at any time)

  • register you for, and communicate with you about, events and seminars

  • process and fulfil purchases through our online store

  • issue donation receipts and, where applicable, confirm eligibility for donation tax credits

  • assess programme applications and deliver our programmes safely and effectively

  • maintain contact with programme participants for ongoing support, alumni communications and evaluation of our services

  • meet our legal, accounting and reporting obligations as a registered charity

  • improve our website, services and communications

We will not use your information for a purpose other than the one it was collected for, unless you'd reasonably expect it or the law allows it.

Providing some information is optional. If you choose not to provide certain details, we may be unable to send you newsletters, process an order, issue a donation receipt, or assess a programme application.

5. How we store and protect your information

We take reasonable steps to keep your personal information secure against loss, unauthorised access, use, modification or disclosure.

  • Information is stored in secure, password-protected systems, primarily Squarespace (our website, store, donation and email platform) and Tally.so (event and programme application forms), each requiring authenticated access.

  • Files are stored on encrypted servers through Apple iCloud and Google Drive

  • We use two-factor authentication or biometric authentication (such as Touch ID or Face ID) on all systems where this is available.

  • Access is limited to trustees, staff and interns who need it to do their work, and interns are supervised and bound by confidentiality expectations.

  • Payment information is processed directly by our payment provider (e.g. Stripe/PayPal, via Squarespace) — we do not store full card details ourselves.

6. Who we share your information with

We do not sell or rent your personal information.

We may share personal information with trusted third parties who help us operate, and only to the extent necessary for them to provide their service:

  • Squarespace — website hosting, online store, donation processing and email newsletters

  • Tally.so — event registration and programme application forms

  • our payment processor — to process purchases and donations securely

  • clinical advisors, contracted clinicians or facilitators — to review programme applications and support delivery, with confidentiality obligations

  • our accountant — for financial reporting, as required of a registered charity

  • funders — de-identified or aggregated programme and assessment data only, for reporting on outcomes and impact

  • government agencies or regulators, where required by law (for example, Charities Services, IRD for donation tax receipting, or in a health and safety emergency)

Some of these providers may store or process data on servers located outside New Zealand (for example, Squarespace, Tally.so, Apple iCloud and Google Drive use overseas cloud infrastructure). Where this happens, we choose providers with appropriate security and privacy standards, consistent with our obligations under the Privacy Act 2020.

7. How long we keep your information

We keep personal information only for as long as it's needed for the purpose it was collected, or as required by law (for example, financial records must generally be kept for at least seven years under NZ tax law).

  • Newsletter subscriber details are kept until you unsubscribe or ask us to remove them.

  • Purchase and donation records are kept for financial and tax-receipting purposes as required by law.

  • Programme application and participant information is kept for the duration of your involvement with us and for a reasonable period afterward for continuity of care, alumni support and reporting to funders, after which it is securely deleted or anonymised.

8. Cookies and analytics

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies, including Google Analytics and Squarespace's built-in analytics, to understand how visitors use our site and to help us improve our content and services. This may include information such as pages visited, time on site, and general location (e.g. city/region) derived from your IP address. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect how the site functions. We do not use this data to individually identify you.

9. Children's information

Our programmes and communications are generally directed at adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without the consent of a parent or guardian. If you believe we have inadvertently collected a child's information without appropriate consent, please contact us and we will delete it.

10. Your rights

Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to:

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

  • ask us to correct that information if it's wrong

  • ask us to delete your information, or to stop using it for a particular purpose (for example, unsubscribing from our newsletter)

  • know who we've disclosed your information to, where relevant

To make a request, contact us using the details below. We'll respond within the timeframes required by the Privacy Act (usually within 20 working days).

If you're not satisfied with how we've handled your personal information, you can make a complaint to us directly, or to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (www.privacy.org.nz).

11. Contact us

Mastering Mountains Charitable Trust is a registered charity in New Zealand: CC54029.

  • Email: info@masteringmountains.org.nz

  • Phone: +64 27 504 6455

  • Address: Flat 7, 25 Winchester Street, Merivale, Christchurch 8014, New Zealand

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or the law. The date at the top shows when it was last updated. We encourage you to check back periodically.

Ngā mihi nui,
Mastering Mountains Charitable Trust