Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026

The River Foss Society respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This privacy notice explains what information we collect, why we collect it and how we use and protect it when you use our website, contact us or become a member.

Who we are

The River Foss Society is a voluntary organisation dedicated to protecting, improving and promoting the River Foss and its environment.

For the purposes of UK data protection law, the River Foss Society is the data controller for the personal information described in this notice.

Contact:
River Foss Society
Email:membership@riverfosssociety.co.uk

Information we collect

We may collect personal information when you:

• apply to become or renew as a member;
• contact us through the website or by email;
• sign up to receive our newsletter or other communications;
• register an interest in volunteering, activities or events;
• make a donation or complete a Gift Aid declaration.

Depending on how you interact with us, this may include your name, postal address, email address, telephone number, membership details, communication preferences and information required for Gift Aid.

We may also collect limited technical information about visits to our website, such as browser/device information and website usage data, where applicable.

We do not provide website user accounts and visitors cannot post comments on the website.

How we use your information

We use personal information where necessary to:

• process and administer Society memberships;
• communicate with members about their membership;
• respond to enquiries;
• administer donations and Gift Aid;
• organise volunteering, activities and events;
• send newsletters and other communications where you have chosen to receive them;
• maintain appropriate administrative and financial records;
• operate, maintain and improve our website; and
• comply with our legal obligations.

Our lawful basis for using your information

Under UK data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, we may process your information because:

Contract – it is necessary to administer your membership or provide something you have requested from us.

Legal obligation – we need to retain or process certain information to comply with legal, financial or taxation requirements, including records relating to Gift Aid.

Legitimate interests – it is reasonably necessary for the administration and operation of the River Foss Society, provided those interests do not override your rights and interests.

Consent – where we ask for your permission, for example to receive optional newsletters or marketing communications. You can withdraw your consent at any time.

Newsletter and communications

If you choose to receive our newsletter or other optional communications, we will use the contact details you provide for this purpose.

You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by using any unsubscribe option provided in our communications or by contacting us.

We will not add you to optional marketing communications simply because you have contacted us or become a member unless we have an appropriate lawful basis to do so.

Membership information

Information supplied through our membership form is used to process and administer your membership and communicate with you about the Society.

Please only provide information requested by the form and do not include unnecessary sensitive personal information.

Gift Aid

If you make a Gift Aid declaration, we use the information you provide to administer Gift Aid and meet our legal and record-keeping obligations.

Relevant information may be provided to HM Revenue & Customs where necessary for the administration of Gift Aid.

Sharing your information

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share information where necessary with trusted organisations or service providers that help us operate the Society and website, such as our website hosting, email, form or IT service providers.

We may also disclose information where required by law or to organisations such as HM Revenue & Customs where necessary.

Where third parties process personal information on our behalf, we expect them to handle that information securely and only for the purposes for which it was provided.

How long we keep your information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and to meet any legal, accounting or reporting requirements.

Membership records will normally be retained while your membership is active and for an appropriate period afterwards.

Information that must be retained for legal, financial or Gift Aid purposes may be kept for longer where required by law.

Enquiries and other correspondence will be deleted when they are no longer reasonably required.

Keeping your information secure

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure.

However, no transmission of information over the internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Cookies and website analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies that are necessary for the website to function correctly.

We may also use optional cookies or analytics services to understand how visitors use the website and help us improve it. Where consent is required, these will not be used until you have made your choice.

More information about the cookies used by this website can be found in our Cookie Policy.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to websites operated by other organisations. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external websites, and you should read their privacy information when visiting them.

Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, UK data protection law gives you rights over your personal information. These may include the right to:

• ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
• ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• ask us to delete your information in certain circumstances;
• ask us to restrict how we use your information;
• object to certain uses of your information;
• receive certain information in a portable format; and
• withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent.

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

You will not normally have to pay a fee to exercise your rights.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how we use your personal information, please contact the River Foss Society in the first instance so that we can try to resolve the matter.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent regulator for data protection.

Information Commissioner's Office

Changes to this privacy notice

We may update this privacy notice from time to time to reflect changes to our activities, website or legal obligations. The latest version will always be published on this website.