Privacy Notice

DATA PRIVACY NOTICE

 

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST SWITHUN, SANDY

St Swithun’s Parish Church, Sandy, is committed to protecting your personal information and being transparent about how we use it. This privacy notice explains what personal data we collect, how we use it, and what rights you have.

This policy applies to information we collect through our website, church administration, pastoral care, events, and communications.

1. Who We Are

St Swithun’s Parish Church, Sandy is part of the Church of England and is governed by the Parochial Church Council (PCC).

The PCC is the data controller for the personal data processed by the church.

Contact details

St Swithun’s Parish Church
30 High St, Sandy SG19 1AQ

Email: office@sandyparishchurch.org
Website: www.sandyparishchurch.org

If you have questions about this privacy notice or how your data is used, please contact the PCC Secretary or church office.

2. What Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following types of personal information:

• Personal details
• Name
• Address
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Church-related information
• Electoral roll information
• Participation in church groups, events, or services
• Pastoral care information (where appropriate)
• Communication information
• Newsletter subscriptions
• Contact form submissions
• Event registrations

Donation information

If you donate to the church we may process:

• Gift Aid declarations
• Donation records
• Payment details (normally handled by secure third-party providers)

Website information

When you use our website we may collect:

• IP address
• Browser type
• Pages visited

This information is normally collected through cookies or analytics tools.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use personal data to:

• Administer church membership and the Electoral Roll
• Communicate with church members and the local community
• Organise services, events, and church activities
• Provide pastoral care and support
• Manage volunteers and church groups
• Process donations and Gift Aid
• Maintain church records as required by the Church of England
• Respond to enquiries submitted through the website
• Improve our website and communications

4. Legal Basis for Processing

• Under UK GDPR we rely on the following lawful bases:
• Consent – for example when subscribing to newsletters
• Legitimate interests – to carry out the work and ministry of the church
• Legal obligations – such as Gift Aid records
• Religious organisation exemption – allowing churches to process data relating to members and regular contacts

5. Sharing Your Information

• We will not sell your personal data.
• We may share information with:
• The Diocese of St Albans
• The Church of England
• Service providers who support church administration (e.g., email systems or donation platforms)
• Government authorities where required by law
• All third-party providers are expected to keep your information secure.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate measures to protect personal data, including:

• Secure storage of digital records
• Restricted access to authorised church officers
• Password-protected systems
• Careful handling of paper records

7. How Long We Keep Information

We only keep personal data for as long as necessary.

Some records must be retained for longer periods to comply with Church of England record-keeping guidance or legal requirements.

For example:

• Electoral Roll records are reviewed every year
• Gift Aid records are normally retained for 6 years

8. Your Data Protection Rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

• Request access to the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your data (in certain circumstances)
• Object to processing of your personal data
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
• Requests should be sent to the church office using the contact details above.

9. Cookies

Our website may use cookies to:

• Improve website functionality
• Analyse how visitors use the site
• You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings.

10. Complaints

If you are concerned about how your data is handled, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

https://ico.org.uk

11. Changes to This Notice

This privacy notice may be updated from time to time to reflect legal requirements or changes in how we operate.

 

Last updated: March, 2026