Last updated: 20 November 2023

Next review: 20 November 2024

Who we are and what we do

Waltham Forest is one of five boroughs, and the only one based in London, to be part of a Government pilot scheme that aims to better connect communities and improve social integration.

At the heart of our ambitious strategy for delivering this project is the opportunity to unlock the collective power of Waltham Forest’s people to build an integrated, supportive and safe community where every resident and a local organisation is empowered to help make Waltham Forest a better place to live. 

The Welcome Pack is a core component of the Council’s Connecting Communities delivery plan.

The purpose of the Welcome Pack, funded by MHCLG (Ministry for Housing, Communities, and Local Government), is to welcome new residents in the borough by providing useful information about Waltham Forest and connecting people with their community.

If you have questions about the Connecting Communities Unit, you can contact us by e-mail or in writing. For enquiries you can email ConnectingCommunities@walthamforest.gov.uk

You can also contact us by post. Please write to:

Connecting Communities Unit
Waltham Forest Town Hall
Forest Road
Walthamstow E17 4JF

Information we hold about you

The information we collect and process in relation to the Welcome Pack is your: 

  • name
  • surname
  • address
  • e-mail address and
  • contact number.

This information is collected to enable the Connecting Communities team to deliver the Welcome Pack to you. The data collected is the minimum amount of data necessary for the distribution and evaluation of the Welcome Pack.

Why we need your information and how we use it

The information we collect is processed in order to deliver the Welcome Pack to you. Data is also gathered to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the Welcome Pack and understand how we can improve it.

The lawful basis for the processing

The processing of the information we gather is based on your consent, which is obtained at the end of the Council Tax registration.

You can withdraw your consent at any time, without any impact on the services you have received or will receive from the Council, by emailing us at ConnectingCommunities@walthamforest.gov.uk

Who your information will be shared with (if applicable)

The information we collect will only be accessible by a limited and designated group of Council staff responsible for the delivery and evaluation of the Welcome Pack. The information we collect will not be shared externally. Anonymised/aggregated data will further be shared with our funder (the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), for evaluation and reporting purposes.

We will never share your information with third parties for their marketing purposes without your consent. We will never sell your information to third parties. 

How long we will keep your information

We will keep the information for 1 year.  Further processing for research and reporting purposes will be carried out after your data has been anonymised/aggregated.

Our Data Protection Officer

Our Data Protection Officer is Mark Hynes, you contact him by email at data.protectionofficer@walthamforest.gov.uk

Protecting your information

Please see the relevant section of the Corporate Privacy Notice.

Your information choice and rights

Please see the relevant section of the Corporate Privacy Notice.

Complaints and contact details

These are included in the relevant section of the Corporate Privacy Notice.

Information Commissioner’s Office

If we’re unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)