Privacy Policy

Last updated: January 2025

1. Introduction

Accepted Church ("we", "our", "us") is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your data when you visit our website or engage with our services.

As a registered charity (No. 1211809), we comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

• Name and contact details (email, phone number, address)
• Information you provide through contact forms
• Prayer requests and pastoral care enquiries
• Donation and Gift Aid information
• Newsletter subscription preferences
• Website usage data (cookies and analytics)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To respond to your enquiries and requests
• To provide pastoral care and support
• To process donations and Gift Aid claims
• To send newsletters and church updates (with your consent)
• To maintain church membership records
• To comply with legal and regulatory requirements

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Consent: When you subscribe to our newsletter or submit a contact form
• Legitimate interests: For church administration and pastoral care
• Legal obligation: For Gift Aid claims and charity reporting

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your data with:

• HMRC for Gift Aid purposes
• The Charity Commission as required by law
• Service providers who help us operate our website (under strict data protection agreements)

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. This includes secure servers, encryption, and restricted access to personal data.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. After this period, your data will be securely deleted or anonymised.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have the following rights:

• Right of access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your data
• Right to restrict processing: Request limits on how we use your data
• Right to data portability: Request transfer of your data
• Right to object: Object to processing of your data
• Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.

9. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We use:

• Essential cookies: Required for the website to function
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our site

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some website functionality.

10. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any linked sites.

11. Children's Privacy

We are committed to protecting children's privacy. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without parental consent. For children's ministry activities, we obtain appropriate consent from parents or guardians.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us:

Registered Charity Number: 1211809