Church on the Brow Privacy Notice

What is our legal basis for processing your data

We process data because it is necessary for our legitimate interests to enable our missional aims. For example, maintaining membership records, safeguarding our children, because you are a part of a particular group and need information about that, and recording our financial donations

Some of our processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation. Retaining safeguarding records and gift aid declarations are examples of this.

We may also process data if it is necessary for the performance of a contract with you, or to provide a direct service to you.

As a religious organisation, we are permitted to process information about your religious beliefs to administer membership or contact details.

Where your information is used other than in accordance with one of these legal bases, we will first obtain your consent to that use. For example, obtaining your consent to keep you informed of future church events after you have joined us at another event.

What information do we collect, how do we collect it and why do we collect it?

We collect personal information at various times you deal with us for example name, address, email addresses and telephone numbers. We do this when you contact us through the Website, by telephone, post, e-mail or through any other means you request information from us, when you make a donation to us, when you join our membership, or when you sign up for an event. We process data in relation to members, former members and those having regular contact with us, in connection with the pursuit of our purposes as a church. Personal data is not disclosed outside the church processes without consent.

We collect sensitive personal data, including, but not limited to, your religious beliefs, or your physical or mental health. We will use this data to enable us to provide services you have requested, such as providing pastoral care, church youth activities, etc. We will never disclose this information without your consent. Whenever we collect your data, we do this in accordance with this privacy policy.

Church database and directory

The church keeps a database of those actively involved in the life of the church. It also keeps a paper directory of those who are actively involved in the church. This will be made available to others who are actively involved in the church.

We will not make available copies of the directory to outside parties, though we cannot guarantee that other parties will not indirectly access it. If you request that we no longer hold your details, we will remove your details from the directory and would not include you in any future Church directories printed for that year, but we cannot obviously remove you from hard copies in existence.

Storing and sharing your data

Your personal information will be stored securely. Paper copies of data will be securely stored in a locked cupboard on the church premises. In addition, the church operates data using the cloud storage service ‘Google Drive’: they are a Data Processor of the information we store on their site. Their data privacy statement can be found at: https://policies.google.com/privacy. Access to this data will be controlled by the church and restricted to that which is necessary by an individual's role, whether as trustee, volunteer or member. We will not pass on your information to any other parties.

How long will we keep this information & what are your rights concerning it?

Where you are actively involved in the life of the church and/or are a Church member, unless we are required to hold your information in accordance with our data retention schedule, your contact details will be removed from the church database once you are no longer attending the church (more than 6 months) and/or have resigned from membership, if applicable, unless you ask to remain on our database.

Where the above does not apply and you solely attend an event, we will delete your contact details no more than one month after the event.

You have the right to request access to your personal data held by us, to change and update those details. You can also withdraw consent for us to hold your data at any time and we will immediately take action to delete/ destroy it. Your provision of this data is not part of a statutory requirement or obligation. You also have the right to ask for information which you believe to be incorrect to be rectified. If you are concerned about the way your information is being handled, please contact our Data Protection Trustee (email thechurchonthebrow@gmail.com). If you are still unhappy, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioners Office.

When we share your data

We will never pass your details to another organisation for marketing purposes.

We may make limited use from time to time of external companies to collect or process personal data on our behalf, for example, to sign up for an event. When we do use external companies, we remain responsible for the storing and processing of your personal data.

We may share your personal information without notice if required to do so by law or by a regulatory body.

Changes to this policy

This policy was last updated in January 2025. We may amend this policy from time to time to take account of changes to our processes or changes to data protection or other legislation.

Contact information

The Data Controller is: Trustees of The Church on the Brow, Taylor Rd, Altrincham, WA14 4LR Email: thechurchonthebrow@gmail.com You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (the Supervisory Authority for Data Protection) on 0303 123 1113.