Last updated: January 2025

Introduction

Ripon History And Archaeology Trust ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy and complying with data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you interact with our organization, visit our museum, use our website, or engage with our services.

About Us

Organization Name: Ripon History And Archaeology Trust
Registered Charity Number: 1212222
Address: 48 Bishopton Place, Ripon, HG4 2DT
Email: RiponHistoryArchaeology@hotmail.com
Phone: 07828 206465

Information We Collect

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

Information You Provide Directly

• Contact details (name, email address, phone number, postal address) when you contact us or sign up for our mailing list
• Donation information when you make financial contributions
• Membership details if you become a member of the Trust
• Volunteer information including skills, interests, and availability
• Event registration details when you book tickets or register for talks and workshops
• Research inquiries and correspondence

Information Collected Automatically

• Website usage data (pages visited, time spent, browser type) through standard server logs
• IP addresses for security and analytics purposes

How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• Communications: To respond to your inquiries, send newsletters, and provide updates about our exhibitions and events
• Donations: To process donations and issue acknowledgments or receipts
• Membership Management: To administer memberships and provide member benefits
• Volunteer Coordination: To manage volunteer activities and communications
• Event Management: To organize talks, workshops, and special events
• Research Support: To facilitate access to our archives and collections
• Legal Compliance: To meet our legal and regulatory obligations as a registered charity

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under one or more of the following legal bases:

• Consent: When you have given clear consent for us to process your personal data for specific purposes
• Legitimate Interests: When processing is necessary for our legitimate interests as a heritage charity, such as fundraising, volunteer management, and promoting our charitable objectives
• Legal Obligation: When we need to comply with legal requirements, such as charity law obligations

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• With service providers who assist us with specific functions (e.g., email services, payment processing), under strict data protection agreements
• When required by law or to protect our legal rights
• With your explicit consent for specific purposes

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Secure storage of physical records
• Password protection for digital systems
• Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
• Regular review of our data protection practices

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data:

• General correspondence: Up to 2 years after last contact
• Donation records: 7 years (in accordance with charity financial record requirements)
• Membership records: Duration of membership plus 2 years
• Volunteer records: Duration of volunteer service plus 2 years

Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request limitation of how we use your data
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, commonly used format
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for processing at any time where we rely on consent

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

Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses minimal cookies and tracking technologies. We use basic analytics to understand how visitors use our site, which helps us improve our services. This data is collected in aggregate form and does not personally identify individual visitors.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any websites you visit.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not specifically directed at children under 16. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 16 without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify users of any material changes by posting the updated policy on our website with a new "Last updated" date.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data protection rights, or have concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

Complaints

If you are not satisfied with our response to your privacy concerns, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection supervisory authority:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF

Website: www.ico.org.uk
Helpline: 0303 123 1113