PRIVACY POLICY

This is the Data Processing Notice [also known as a Privacy Policy] of La Societe Guernesiaise. It is issued in compliance with the Data Protection [Bailiwick of Guernsey] Law, 2017 ‘the Law’

1. Who are we?

La Société Guernesiaise is an organisation for everyone who cares about nature, history and science in Guernsey. We focus on protecting of our island and its biodiversity and history, increasing people’s awareness and understanding of the natural world. We were founded in 1882

We create opportunities for people of all ages to learn about nature and connect with it as well as learning about astronomy, archaeology and historic buildings.

We partner with the Guernsey Biological Records centre and we undertake third party work under our subsidiary, Guernsey Environmental Services LTD. We are the second largest landowner in Guernsey with many natures reserves under our ownership and care.

2. Our commitment to your privacy

We are committed to keeping the personal details of our members and supporters safe. This policy explains how and why we use your personal data, to ensure that you remain informed and in control of your information.

3. Why do we collect your personal data?

We use your personal data to keep in touch with you.

We will only ever collect, store and use your personal data when we have an identified purpose and reason to do so. Further information about why we collect your personal data is outlined below.

1. a) To administer your membership 

We collect your personal data to administer your membership, which may involve:

• Sending you your membership welcome pack when you first join us
• Processing your Direct Debit subscription payments, if you have set this process up with us
• Sending you your membership renewal letter
• Getting in touch should there ever be any issues processing your subscription payment
• If your membership was purchased as a gift, we will use the address provided by the purchaser to send you information about our work in the post.

 

1. b) To send you items purchased from our online shop, including event bookings

We collect your personal data to send you:

• items you have purchased from our online shop
• information about events you have booked

 

1. c) To send you information about our work and ask for your opinion

We also collect your personal data so that we can send you information about our work that we feel will be of interest to you. This includes your membership newsletter, fundraising appeals, events, campaigning opportunities, volunteering, membership, products, competitions and other activities, as well as information about other carefully selected organisations that we work in partnership with. From time to time, we may also use your personal data to ask for your opinion about our work.

We use three different bases for processing your data for ‘direct marketing’ purposes:

• i) Legitimate interest

This is where we have identified a genuine and legitimate reason for contacting you, which crucially does not override your rights or interests. We use legitimate interest to send you the information listed above by post or telephone

• ii) Opt-in consent

This is where you have given us express permission to contact you by particular communication channels. We use opt-in consent to send you the information listed above by email, text message (SMS) or telephone.

• iii) Processing in the context of not-for-profit organisations that exist for philosophical reasons

We respect your right to update the way we get in touch with you about our work at any time. To amend your communication preferences or update your contact details, contact us through one of the methods listed on the Contact Us section of the website.

Our office hours are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings 10.00 to 11.30.

 

1. d) If you volunteer with us 

we collect your personal data so that we can keep in touch with you about, for example:

• changes to planned volunteer work programmes that you may be taking part in
• other opportunities for volunteering or supporting or work by sending you our volunteer newsletter
• dedicated volunteer thank-you events

 

4. What kind of personal data do we process? How do we collect it?
5. a) Basic information

We will usually collect basic information about you, including your name, postal address, telephone number, email address and your bank details if you are supporting us financially with a Direct Debit.

Most of the time, we collect this data from you directly. Sometimes this is in person; other times, it is over the telephone, in writing or through an email. Occasionally we obtain information, such as your telephone number or other contact details, from external sources (only where you have given permission for such information to be shared).

1. b) Additional information

We may also collect additional information about you, which may include:

• information about your interests, which you tell us through our Membership Surveys
• records of donations and pledges
• your preferences of how you would like us to contact you
• ways you’ve helped us through volunteering your time
• records of events you’ve attended, or campaigns or activities that you’ve been involved in
• interactions with us on social media
• your date of birth and your sex

In most instances, we collect this data from you directly. Occasionally we also obtain data from external sources.

We may collect information about certain supporters from public sources including public databases, news and other media.

1. c) Our website, cookies and links to other sites

Our website uses ‘cookies’ to help provide you with the best experience we can. Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer or mobile phone when you browse websites.

Our cookies help us:

• Make our website work as you’d expect
• Remember your settings during and between visits
• Improve the speed/security of the site
• Allow you to share pages with social networks like Facebook
• Continuously improve our website for you

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of any other websites linked to our website. If you have followed a link from our website to another website you may be supplying information to a third party. If an external website requests personal information from you the information you provide will not be covered by our Privacy Policy.

1. d) Sensitive personal data

We do not normally collect or store sensitive personal data (such as information relating to health, beliefs or political affiliation) about supporters and members. However, there are some situations where this may occur.

When we do so, we will be very clear as to why we are collecting such information, and we will only do so with your specific consent and permission. In these situations, we collect the data from you directly.

If you are a volunteer then we may collect extra information about you, for example:

• references
• criminal record checks
• details of emergency contacts
• medical conditions

We may also collect sensitive personal data if you have an accident on one of our reserves or during one of our activities. This information will be retained for legal reasons, for safeguarding purposes and to protect us (including in the event of an insurance or legal claim). If this does occur, we’ll take extra care to ensure your privacy rights are protected.

1. e) Children and young people 

In line with data protection law, we will not collect, store or process your personal details if you are under 13 years of age; unless we have the express permission from your parent or guardian to do so.

If we have the permission of your parent or guardian, we will capture your date of birth at the point of joining. This is so that we can send you information that we feel is suitable to your age.

1. f) Recruitment and employment

In order to comply with our contractual, statutory, and management obligations and responsibilities, we process personal data, including ‘sensitive’ personal data, from job applicants and employees.

Such data can include, but isn’t limited to, information relating to health and criminal convictions. In certain circumstances, we may process personal data or sensitive personal data, without explicit consent.

5. How do we store your data? 
6. a) Security

All of the personal data we process is processed by our staff in Guernsey. However, for the purposes of IT hosting and maintenance your information may be situated outside of the European Economic Area (EEA). This will be done in accordance with guidance issued by the Office of The Data Protection Authority, Guernsey.

Electronic data and databases are stored on secure computer systems and we control who has access to information (using both physical and electronic means).

1. b) Payment security

If you use a credit card to donate, purchase a membership or purchase something online we will pass your credit card details securely to our payment provider.

We will never store card details.

Of course, we cannot guarantee the security of your home computer or the internet, and any online communications (e.g. information provided by email or our website) are at the user’s own risk.

1. d) Data retention policy

We will only use and store information for as long as it is required for the purposes it was collected for. We continually review what information we hold, and delete what is no longer required.

6. Your rights

We respect your right to control your data. Your rights include:

• a) The right to be informed

This privacy notice outlines how we capture, store and use your data. If you have any questions about any elements of this policy, please contact us.

• b) The right of access

If you wish to obtain a record of the personal data we hold about you, we will respond within one month.

• c) The right to rectification

If we have captured information about you that is inaccurate or incomplete, we will update it.

• d) The right to erase

You can ask us to remove your personal details from our records.

• e) The right to restrict processing

You can ask us to stop using your personal data.

• f) The right to data portability

You can ask to obtain your personal data from us for your own purposes.

• g) The right to object

You can ask to be excluded from marketing activity

• h) Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling

We respect your right not to be subject to a decision that is based on automated processing.

• i) The right to withdraw consent

 

7. Making a complaint

La Société wants to exceed your expectation in everything we do. However, we know that there may be times when we do not meet our own high standards. When this happens, we want to hear about it, in order to deal with the situation as quickly as possible and put measures in place to stop it happening again.

We take complaints very seriously and we treat them as an opportunity to develop our approach. This is why we are always very grateful to hear from people who are willing to take the time to help us improve.

Confidentiality
All complaint information will be handled sensitively, in line with relevant data protection requirements.

Responsibility
Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation lies with our Secretary

8. Get in touch

Should you wish to find out more about the information we hold about you or about our Privacy Policy, please contact us at secretary@societe.org.gg

To amend your communication preferences or update your contact details please contact us.

9. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We will update this policy periodically to ensure it accurately reflects our use of personal data.

• Contacting the regulator 

If you feel that your data has been handled incorrectly or you are unhappy with our response to any requests you have made to us regarding the use of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the data protection regulator – The Office of the Data Protection Authority (ODPA).  You can contact them for advice by writing to: ……………….

Should you have wish to make a formal complaint about our organisation, please contact:

The Office of the Data Protection Authority,

St Martin’s House,

Le Bordage,

St Peter Port’

Guernsey

GY1 1BR

Telephone [01481] 742074 or by email to enquiries@opda.gg

This Privacy Policy was last updated on April 2023