GDPR, Privacy Policy & Data Protection

GDPR, Privacy Policy & Data Protection

Your privacy is very important to the Estuary Church Group. Accordingly, we have developed this Policy in order for you to understand how the Estuary Church Group collect, use, communicate and disclose and make use of personal information.

All personal data, whether it is held on paper, on computer or other media, will be subject to the appropriate legal safeguards as specified in the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679.

Privacy Policy & Data Protection

THE PRINCIPLES

The principles of the regulation require that personal data shall:

  1. Be processed fairly and lawfully and shall not be processed unless certain conditions are met.
  2. Be obtained for a specified and lawful purpose and shall not be processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose.
  3. Be adequate, relevant and not excessive for those purposes.
  4. Be accurate and where necessary, kept up to date.
  5. Not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose.
  6. Be processed in accordance with the data subject's rights.
  7. Be kept secure from unauthorised or unlawful processing and protected against accidental loss, destruction or damage by using the appropriate technical and organisational measures.
  8. Not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area, unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data.

POLICY

We are committed to conducting our business in accordance with these principles in order to ensure that the confidentiality of personal information is protected and maintained.

1. WHO WE ARE

The Estuary Church Group (ECG) comprises of two Essex based Elim Pentecostal Churches in Ashingdon and Rayleigh with a shared leadership team. The Ashingdon and Rayleigh Elim Pentecostal Churches are branches of The Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance (Registered Charity No. 251549)

2. DATA COLLECTION

We collect personal information when you are in contact with Estuary Church Group (ECG). For example, when you:

  • Register details via embedded forms on our website or social media
  • Donate using our offering envelopes or electronic means
  • Provide your contact details in writing or orally to the ECG Ministry Team or volunteers
  • Purchase goods or services, including when you provide credit or debit card details
  • Communicate with ECG through means such as email, letter, telephone

3. CONFIDENTIALITY

Estuary Church Group will treat all of your personal information as private and confidential, not to be disclosed with anyone other than the church leadership and ministry overseers/co-coordinators within the church, in order to facilitate the administration and day-to-day ministry of the church.
There are four exceptions to the above permitted by law:

  1. Where we are legally compelled to do so.
  2. Where there is a duty to the public to disclose.
  3. Where disclosure is required to protect your interest.
  4. Where disclosure is made at your request or with your consent.

4. USE OF DATA

Estuary Church Group will use your personal information for three main purposes:

  1. The day-to-day administration of the church e.g. pastoral care, including calls and visits, coordinating team rotas, keeping financial records for audit and tax purposes.
  2. Contacting you to keep you informed of church activities and resources.
  3. Statistical analysis; gaining a better understanding of church demographics. N.B. although collated church data may be passed to a third party, such as number of small groups or small group's attendance, no personal data will be disclosed.

5. CHURCHSUITE DATABASE

Information contained on the database will not be used for any other purposes than the above in section 2. The database is accessed through the cloud and therefore, can be accessed through any computer or device with internet access. The server for the database is in the UK and hosted by ChurchSuite.

  1. Access to the database is strictly controlled through the use of name specific passwords, which are selected by the individual.
  2. Those authorised to use the database only have access to their specific area of use within the database. This is controlled by the Data Controller and other specified administrators. These are the only people who can access and set these security parameters.
  3. People who will have secure and authorised access to the database include Estuary Church Group Ministry Team, Church Board members, Technical Team and leaders of Link Teams and ECG ministries.
  4. All access and activity on the database is logged and can be viewed by the Database Controller.
  5. Subject Access - all individuals who are the subject of personal data held by Estuary Church Group are entitled to:
    • Ask what information the church holds about them and why.
    • Ask how to gain access to it.
    • Be informed how to keep it up to date.
    • Be informed what Estuary Church Group is doing to comply with its obligations under the General Data Protection Regulations
  6. Personal information will not be passed onto any third parties outside of the church environment and associated organisations. For example, the Estuary Choirs Collective is an associated organisation. We do not sell or pass any of your personal information to any other organisations and/or individuals without your express consent, with the following exception: by providing us with your details you are giving the Church your express permission to transfer your data to service providers including mailing houses, such as MailChimp, to enable fulfilment of the purpose for collection.
  7. Sensitive Personal Information: The Church may collect and store sensitive personal information such as health information, religious information (church attendance) when you and/or your family attend, register for church events and conferences. Your personal information will be kept strictly confidential. It is never sold, given away, or otherwise shared with anyone, unless required, by law.

6. Questions and Concerns

If you have any questions about this privacy notice, including any requests to exercise your legal rights, please contact [email protected], or by writing to Estuary Church Group, 535 Ashingdon Road, Ashingdon, Rochford, Essex, SS4 3HE

You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues (www.ico.org.uk). We would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO so please contact us in the first instance.

POLICY LAST REVISED:  5 March 2024