What is Personal Data?
Your personal data is information relating to you that can identify you as a living individual. It may be information that can identify you by itself or when combined with other information held or likely to be held by a person or organisation in possession of your personal data. Sensitive personal data is specific types of personal information which is more sensitive and therefore needs more protection. In the UK the Data Protection Act governs the processing of personal data.
What are the lawful reasons for processing your personal information?
Sandgate Conservation Society (the ‘Society’) needs to be able to process your personal data as a membership organisation, as a charity governed by laws and to help further our objectives as stated in our governing document. Therefore the processing of your personal data is lawful because it is necessary:
- to enable us to enter into a contract with you when you apply to become a member and then to meet our obligations to you as a member;
- to be able to meet our legal obligations;
- for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by us.
Essential uses of your personal information
The Society processes members’ information in order to manage our membership records and subscription receipts, and to send you formal notices. If you come to any of our events you will either be asked to sign in or give your name. This is for health and safety, and insurance reasons. If you attend a formal Society meeting the attendance list also forms, and is retained as, part of the official minutes.
Sensitive Personal Data
We only process sensitive personal data in relation to our conservation morning volunteer ‘Emergency Contact’ forms where you give us your ‘Emergency Contact’ information. You can ask us to stop holding your ‘Emergency Contact’ information at any time.
Further uses of your personal information
We will also use your personal information in the legitimate interests of the Society
- to contact you to ensure our records are correct;
- to respond to questions from you;
- to pursue unpaid subscriptions;
- to send you newsletters;
- to let you know about Society events, activities and initiatives;
- to let you know about other local events, issues and initiatives, such as, but not limited to, local government consultations, where they are compatible with the objectives of the Society or where we believe they may be of benefit to you;
- to review, improve and develop services we offer or handle complaints;
- to record and promote the Society, its achievements, special events, and notable occasions.
What happens if we want to process your information for other reasons?
Though there are some legal exceptions, if we wish to process your personal data for any other unrelated purpose than those we have informed you about we will notify you.
Security of your data
The Society complies with its obligations under the Data Protection Act by keeping personal data up to date; by storing and destroying it securely; by not collecting excessive amounts of data; by protecting personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access and disclosure and by ensuring that appropriate technical measures are in place to protect personal data.
Will we share your information with anyone else?
We will only share your information:
- if we are legally obliged to do so;
- with the Independent Examiner of our accounts;
- for publicity and promotion activities in the legitimate interests of the Society where you have not objected to this use.
As we now live in the computer age the Society also makes use of computer based services provided by other organisations that provide those services, such as email, email mailing lists, cloud file storage and web site. There is also the potential need for the Society to use computer repair services. Potentially those service providers will have access to your personal information. Under the Data Protection law organisations that process data on behalf of another (data processors) have specific legal obligations placed on them.
We will:
- limit personal information shared with data processors to the necessary minimum;
- use additional technical security measures to protect data where appropriate;
- only use services where the provider commits to compliance with the EU data protection regulations (GDPR).
How long will we keep your data?
We will not keep your information for longer than it is necessary – usually while you are a member and for around 12 months after you have left to help us resolve any issues that may subsequently arise. Any ‘Emergency Contact’ forms are kept as long as you want us to or until it becomes evident that you are no longer volunteering at our conservation morning. Any personal information that forms part of the official records of the Society will be retained indefinitely. We also keep photographs and other material for publicity and historical records of the Society.
Your rights
You may, at any time, ask us for a copy of the information we hold about you. We will provide that information as required by the law.
You also have a right, on grounds relating to your situation, to at any time object to processing that is carried out as part of our legitimate interests. We will stop processing your data unless we can demonstrate compelling reasons to continue to do so that override your rights and freedoms, or unless processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
What we ask from you
Please help us to keep your personal information up to date by letting us know of any changes to that personal information. You may ask us to update your information at any time and we will action your requests promptly.
How to get in contact
Contact us
By writing to:
The Secretary
Sandgate Conservation Society
Greystones
Melton Avenue
Storrington
RH20 4BH
By emailing:
[email protected]
Complain to the regulator (Information Commissioner’s Office)
Via their website:
https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/data-protection-complaints/
Via live chat
Live chat is available 9am-5pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays)
Via their telephone helpline: 0303 123 1113 during office hours