Who we are

The Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA) is a UK registered charity (Charity No. 1108851).

ARMA brings together patient organisations, professional bodies, researchers and partners across the UK to improve the lives of the 20 million people living with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.

We work to strengthen recognition of MSK health, influence policy and support collaboration across the health and care system. In doing so we engage with policymakers, clinicians, voluntary organisations, researchers, industry partners and people with lived experience of MSK conditions.

We want to maintain the trust and confidence of everyone who engages with our work, including visitors to our website, subscribers to our newsletters, event participants and people who contribute to our consultations and policy activity.

For the purposes of data protection law, ARMA is the data controller of the personal information we collect.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal information responsibly in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This privacy notice explains when and why we collect personal information, how we use it and how we keep it secure.

If you have questions about this notice you can contact us at:

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.arma.uk.net

What information we collect

We may collect personal information when you interact with ARMA. This may include:

Contact information

• Name
• Organisation and job title
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Postal address where relevant.

Engagement information

Information you provide when you:

• Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Register for an event or webinar
  • Take part in consultations or surveys
  • Participate in ARMA projects, working groups or policy discussions
  • Contact us directly.

This may include information about your professional role, organisation or areas of interest.

Sensitive information

Occasionally individuals contributing to ARMA’s work may share personal information relating to health conditions or lived experience. Where this happens we will seek explicit consent before storing or using that information and will only use it for the purpose for which it was provided.

Website usage information

When you visit our website we may collect limited technical information such as:

• IP address
• Browser type
• Pages visited
• Date and time of access.

This information helps us understand how our website is used and improve its performance.

How we collect information

We collect personal information when you:

• Sign up for newsletters or updates
• Register for ARMA events or meetings
• Take part in consultations, surveys or policy engagement
• Contact us by email, website forms or other correspondence
• Visit and interact with our website.

We only collect information that is necessary for the relevant activity.

How we use your information

We use personal information to:

• Send newsletters, updates and communications you have requested
• Organise and manage events, webinars and meetings
• Facilitate consultations, policy engagement and collaborative work across the MSK community
• Respond to enquiries or requests
• Understand how our website and communications are used
• Improve our work and the information we provide
• Support the charitable purposes and mission of ARMA.

Legal basis for processing

Under UK data protection law, ARMA relies on the following lawful bases when processing personal information.

Consent

Where you choose to subscribe to newsletters or opt in to communications from us. You can withdraw consent at any time by using the unsubscribe link in our emails or contacting us directly.

Legitimate interests

Where processing is necessary to support ARMA’s charitable mission, including:

• Engaging with stakeholders and partners
• Organising events and consultations
• Promoting understanding of MSK health.

We carefully balance our legitimate interests with your rights and privacy.

Legal obligations

In some cases we may process personal information where required to comply with legal or regulatory obligations.

Email communications

If you subscribe to ARMA newsletters or updates we may use secure third party email platforms to manage subscriptions and send communications. These systems may provide limited information such as whether an email has been opened or whether links have been clicked. This helps us improve the relevance and effectiveness of our communications.

You can unsubscribe from our mailing list at any time.

Events

When you register for an ARMA event we may collect information such as your name, organisation, job title and email address so we can:

• Manage the event
• Communicate with you about the event
• Ensure the event meets participants’ needs
• Follow up with materials or feedback after the event.

For some events we may use external event registration platforms. These providers process personal information on our behalf and must protect it in accordance with data protection law.

Surveys and consultations

From time to time we may run surveys or consultations to gather views from members, partners or stakeholders.

If you choose to participate, the information you provide will be used to inform ARMA’s work and improve our policy and engagement activities.

Cookies and website analytics

Our website may use cookies and analytics tools to help us understand how visitors use the site and where improvements can be made. This may include information such as pages visited, time spent on the website and how visitors navigate the site.

This information is generally aggregated and does not identify individual visitors. You can control cookies through your browser settings.

Embedded content and social media

Our website may include embedded content from other websites, such as videos or social media feeds. Embedded content behaves in the same way as if you visited the external website and may collect data according to that website’s own privacy policy.

Sharing your information

ARMA does not sell or trade personal information.

We may share information with trusted service providers who support the operation of our website, communications or events. These organisations process data only on ARMA’s behalf and must protect it appropriately.

We will only share personal information where necessary and lawful to do so.

How we protect your information

ARMA takes appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse or alteration.

How long we keep your information

We keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected. For example:

• Newsletter subscription data is kept until you unsubscribe
• Event registration data is normally retained for a limited period after the event
• Consultation responses may be retained where relevant to ARMA’s policy work.

We regularly review and update our records to ensure information is accurate and not held for longer than necessary.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have several rights relating to your personal information, including the right to:

• Request access to the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances
• Object to certain types of processing
• Request restriction of processing
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how we use your personal information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office:

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

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: https://ico.org.uk

Changes to this notice

We may update this privacy notice from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website.

Last updated: March 2026