Privacy Notice

DATA PRIVACY NOTICE

East Downland Benefice


1. Your personal data – what is it?

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”).


2. Who are we?

The East Downland Benefice incorporates the churches of St Nicholas’, Beedon; St Andrew’s, Boxford; St Mary’s, Chieveley; All Saints’, Farnborough; St Bartholomew’s, Oare; St Barnabas’ Peasemore, St John’s, Stockcross; All Saints’, West Ilsley; St James’, Winterbourne. The clergy team and the administration cover all the parishes. The Benefice Council is the data controller (contact details below). This means it decides how your personal data is processed and for what purposes, in consultation with the PCCs.


3. How do we process your personal data?

The benefice 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.


4. What is the legal basis for processing your personal data?

We process your personal data:

  1. To fulfil our legal obligations and to fulfil the regulations of the Church of England (canon law), examples of which might be:

    1. To record and make returns to HMRC for Gift Aid

    2. To record and make returns to the Diocese and Government (weddings and burials)

  2. As necessary for our own legitimate interests, examples of which might be:

    1. For good governance, account, manage, administer and audit our operations;

    2. To further the mission and purpose of the Church in the benefice;

    3. To provide pastoral care;

    4. To enable us to provide a voluntary service for the benefit of the public in a particular geographical area as specified in our constitution;

    5. To fundraise and promote the interests of the PCCs within the benefice;

    6. To inform parishioners of news, events, activities and services running in the benefice;

    7. To conduct investigations, support effective delivery of service and the maintenance of standards.

  3. To act in accordance with our members’ consent, examples of which might be:

    1. To deliver communications on the anniversary and commemoration of events;

    2. To make returns of officers to the Diocese and subsequent inclusion in the “Church Directory”;

    3. To request prayer.


If you wish that we should not communicate with you any further, please inform us by email.


5. Sharing your personal data

Your personal data will be treated as strictly confidential and will only be shared with members of the church for purposes connected with the church under the above legal bases.

We will only share your data with third parties outside the benefice with your consent.


6. How long do we keep your personal data?*

We keep data in accordance with the guidance set out in the guide “Keep or Bin: Care of Your Parish Records” which is available from the Church of England website [see footnote for link]. The benefice has prepared a retention policy and has actions in place to ensure it is adhered to.


We retain electoral roll data while it is still current; gift aid declarations and associated paperwork for up to 6 years after the calendar year to which they relate; and parish registers (baptisms, marriages, funerals) permanently.


7. 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 your personal data which the benefice holds about you;

  • The right to request that the benefice 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 the benefice 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 the data subject with his/her personal data and where possible, to transmit that data directly to another data controller, (known as the right to data portability), (where applicable).

  • 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, (where applicable)

  • The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office.


8. 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 consent prior to the new processing.


9. Contact Details

To exercise all relevant rights, queries or complaints please in the first instance contact the Rector at Vicarage, Church Lane, Chieveley, Newbury, RG20 8UT.


You can contact the Information Commissioners Office on 0303 123 1113 or via email https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/email/ or at the Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire. SK9 5AF.


* Details about retention periods can currently be found in the Record Management Guides located on the Church of England website at: - https://www.churchofengland.org/more/libraries-and-archives/records-management-guides