DATA PRIVACY STATEMENT
Southernhay United Reformed Church, Exeter
- Personal data
Personal data relates to a living individual who can be identified from that data. Identification can
be by the information alone or in conjunction with any other information in the data controller’s
possession or likely to come into such possession. The processing of personal data is governed
by the General Data Protection Regulation (the ‘GDPR’). - Data Controller
The eldership (serving elders) of Southernhay United Reformed Church is the data controller (DP
administrator is currently Diane Burch). This means it decides how your personal data is
processed and for what purposes. - How do we process your personal data?
The eldership of Southernhay United Reformed Church complies with its obligations under the
“GDPR” by keeping personal data up to date; by storing and destroying it securely; by not
collecting or retaining excessive amounts of data; by protecting personal data from loss, misuse,
unauthorised access and disclosure and by ensuring that appropriate technical measures are in
place to protect personal data.
We use personal data for the following purposes: –
• to administer membership records;
• to maintain our financial accounts and records (including the processing of gift aid);
• to provide news and information about events, activities and services at the church;
• to fundraise and promote the interests of the church;
• to manage employees and volunteers;
• to enable the church to provide voluntary services for the benefit of the public in our local
community;
• to provide contact details of officers and others with specific responsibilities (eg DBS
signatories) to the synod office and Church House. This enables the synod and national
administration of the United Reformed Church.
• to provide contact details for letting the premises to outside persons/organisations - What is the legal basis for processing your personal data?
• Processing is carried out by a not-for-profit body with a political, philosophical, religious or
trade union aim provided: –
o the processing relates only to members or former members (or those who have regular
contact with it in connection with those purposes); and
o there is no disclosure to a third party without consent; or
• Processing is necessary for carrying out obligations under employment, social security or
social protection law, or a collective agreement; or
• Explicit consent of the data subject has been given. - Sharing personal data
Your personal data will be treated as strictly confidential and will only be shared with other
members of the church in order to carry out a service to other church members or for purposes
connected with the church. We will only share your data with third parties with your consent. - How long do we keep data?
We retain data for different periods depending on type and use. Please see the table below. - Your rights and your personal data
Unless subject to an exemption under the GDPR, you have the following rights with respect to
your personal data: –
• The right to request a copy of the personal data which Southernhay United Reformed
Church holds about you (a Subject Access Request or ‘SAR’);
• The right to request that the eldership of Southernhay United Reformed Church corrects
any personal data if it is found to be inaccurate or out of date;
• The right to request your personal data is erased where it is no longer necessary for
Southernhay United Reformed Church to retain such data;
• The right to withdraw your consent to the processing at any time;
• The right to request that the data controller provide you with your personal data and where
possible, to transmit that data directly to another data controller.
• The right, where there is a dispute in relation to the accuracy or processing of your
personal data, to request a restriction is placed on further processing;
• The right to object to the processing of personal data;
• The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office. - Further processing
If we wish to use your personal data for a new purpose, not covered by this Data Protection
Notice, then we will provide you with a new notice explaining this new use prior to commencing the
processing and setting out the relevant purposes and processing conditions. Where and whenever
necessary, we will seek your prior consent to the new processing. - Contact Details
To exercise all relevant rights, queries of complaints please in the first instance contact the Church
Secretary or Data Protection administrator (Diane Burch 01395 741699
or )
You can contact the Information Commissioners Office on 0303 123 1113 or via email
https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/email/ or at
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe
House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire. SK9 5AF.
The Elders
Southernhay United Reformed Church
May 2018
Data retention table.
| Record Type | Retention Period |
| Membership rolls | Indefinitely |
| Members, adherents and friends contact details | 24 months after the last contact |
| Junior Church roll | Not applicable at present |
| Junior Church contacts | Not applicable at present |
| Cradle roll | Indefinitely |
| Gift aid declarations and paperwork | 6 years after the calendar year to which it relates |
| Registers of Marriage | Indefinitely |
| Register of Baptisms | Indefinitely |
| Register of Funerals | Indefinitely |
| Personal data relating to events for which additional information is gathered eg Church holidays | Disposed of immediately after the event unless anything has occurred (eg an accident) which indicates that records should be retained for a longer period. |
| Records of attendance of children/young people and helpers | Indefinitely for safeguarding purposes |
| Photographs and videos of events | 24 months after the event – selected items retained for historical records |
| Insurance Records | Indefinitely |
| Safeguarding matters | Indefinitely or until advised otherwise by authorities |
| Accident Books | 3 years from the date of the last entry (or, if the accident involves a child/ young adult, then until that person reaches the age of 21) |
| Complaints (non – safeguarding) | 3 years after resolution of complaint (unless further action is anticipated) |
| Minute Books | Indefinitely |
| Employee Records | 6 years after the date of termination of employment |
| Pension Records (money purchase) | 6 years after transfer or value taken |
| Visitors Books | Indefinitely |
| Hiring (Letting) agreements | 3 years after last contact |