Akanishta Kadampa Buddhist Centre

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 21st January 2025.

BACKGROUND:

Akanishta Kadampa Buddhist Centre understands that your privacy is important to you and that you care about how your personal data is used. We respect and value the privacy of all of our customers and will only collect and use personal data in ways that are described here, and in a way that is consistent with our obligations and your rights under the law.

1. Information About Us

Company Name: Akanishta Kadampa Buddhist Centre

Limited Company registered in the UK under company number 06619807.

Address: Whaddon Lodge, 59 Whaddon Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL52 5NE

2. What Does This Notice Cover?

This Privacy Information explains how we use your personal data: how it is collected, how it is held, and how it is processed. It also explains your rights under the law relating to your personal data.

3. What is Personal Data?

Personal data is defined by the General Data Protection Regulation (EU Regulation 2016/679) (the “GDPR”) as ‘any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified in particular by reference to an identifier’.

Personal data is, in simpler terms, any information about you that enables you to be identified. Personal data covers obvious information such as your name and contact details, but it also covers less obvious information such as identification numbers, electronic location data, and other online identifiers.

The personal data that we use is set out in Part 5, below.

4. What Are My Rights?

Under the GDPR, you have the following rights, which we will always work to uphold:

  1. The right to be informed about our collection and use of your personal data. This Privacy Notice should tell you everything you need to know, but you can always contact us to find out more or to ask any questions using the details in Part 11.
  2. The right to access the personal data we hold about you. Part 10 will tell you how to do this.
  3. The right to have your personal data rectified if any of your personal data held by us is inaccurate or incomplete. Please contact us using the details in Part 11 to find out more.
  4. The right to be forgotten, i.e. the right to ask us to delete or otherwise dispose of any of your personal data that we have. Please contact us using the details in Part 11 to find out more.
  5. The right to restrict (i.e. prevent) the processing of your personal data.
  6. The right to object to us using your personal data for a particular purpose or purposes.
  7. The right to data portability. This means that, if you have provided personal data to us directly, we are using it with your consent or for the performance of a contract, and that data is processed using automated means, you can ask us for a copy of that personal data to re-use with another service or business in many cases.
  8. Part 6 explains more about how we use your personal data.

For more information about our use of your personal data or exercising your rights as outlined above, please contact us using the details provided in Part 11.

Further information about your rights can also be obtained from the Information Commissioner’s Office or your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

If you have any cause for complaint about our use of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

5. What Personal Data Do You Collect?

We may collect some or all of the following personal data (this may vary according to your relationship with us):

  • Name
  • Address
  • Email address
  • Telephone number
  • Payment information

6. How Do You Use My Personal Data?

Under the GDPR, we must always have a lawful basis for using personal data. This may be because the data is necessary for our performance of a contract with you, because you have consented to our use of your personal data, or because it is in our legitimate business interests to use it. Your personal data will be used for following purposes:

  • Providing and managing your account.
  • Supplying our products or services to you. Your personal details are required in order for us to fulfil any purchase orders.
  • Personalising and tailoring our products and services for you.
  • Communicating with you. This may include responding to emails or calls from you.
  • Supplying you with information by email and/or post that you have opted-in to (you may unsubscribe or opt-out at any time by contacting us, or clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email campaigns / newsletters).

With your permission and/or where permitted by law, we may also use your personal data for marketing purposes, which may include contacting you by email or text message or post with information, news, and offers on our products and services. You will not be sent any unlawful marketing or spam. We will always work to fully protect your rights and comply with our obligations under the GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, and you will always have the opportunity to opt-out.

7. How Long Will You Keep My Personal Data?

We retain your personal data for as long as it is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as long as we have a legitimate interest or legal obligation to retain such data. In some cases, we may retain your data indefinitely to fulfil our business needs or to comply with legal obligations, unless you request deletion (subject to certain exceptions).

Why We Retain Data Indefinitely
We will not keep your personal data for any longer than is necessary in light of the reason(s) for which it was first collected. Your personal data will therefore be kept for the following periods (or, where there is no fixed period, the following factors will be used to determine how long it is kept): We retain certain personal data indefinitely to:

  • Provide ongoing access to your purchase history for support and accounting purposes.
  • Maintain records for legal, tax, or regulatory purposes.
  • Fulfil contractual obligations and defend or establish legal claims.
  • Improve our services and better understand customer preferences.
  • Where possible, we remove historic data manually after 5 years.

8. How and Where Do You Store or Transfer My Personal Data?

We will only store or transfer your personal data in the UK. This means that it will be fully protected under the GDPR.

9. Do You Share My Personal Data?

To provide our services and fulfil your orders, we may need to share your personal data with trusted third-party service providers. We only share your data with third parties where it is necessary for the delivery of our services, and we ensure that these third parties comply with applicable data protection laws, including GDPR.

Payment Processors
We work with third-party payment processors to securely handle payment information. When you make a purchase, your payment details (such as credit card information) are processed by these providers. We do not store your payment information on our servers, and our payment processors comply with strict security standards.

Our payment processing partners include:

  • Stripe

Cloud Service Providers
We use third-party cloud service providers to host our website and ensure its functionality. This may include storing and processing your data on servers operated by these providers, which are located in the EU or in jurisdictions that meet GDPR adequacy standards.

Our cloud service providers include:

  • Digitel (UK) Limited

Marketing and Analytics Providers
With your consent, we may share limited data (such as cookies or anonymised customer data) with marketing and analytics service providers to help us understand customer behaviour and improve our services. This data is anonymised and does not personally identify you unless you have explicitly agreed to specific marketing communications.

Our marketing and analytics partners include:

  • Google
  • Mailchimp

Legal and Regulatory Authorities
In certain circumstances, we may be required to share your personal data with legal or regulatory authorities. This may happen if we are required by law to comply with legal processes or to enforce our terms and conditions.

10. How Can I Access My Personal Data?

If you want to know what personal data we have about you, you can ask us for details of that personal data and for a copy of it (where any such personal data is held). This is known as a “subject access request”.

All subject access requests should be made in writing and sent to the email or postal addresses shown in Part 11.

There is not normally any charge for a subject access request. If your request is ‘manifestly unfounded or excessive’ (for example, if you make repetitive requests) a fee may be charged to cover our administrative costs in responding.

We will respond to your subject access request within one month or receiving it. Normally, we aim to provide a complete response, including a copy of your personal data within that time. In some cases, hover, particularly if your request is more complex, more time may be required up to a maximum of three months from the date we receive your request. You will be kept fully informed of our progress.

11. How Do I Contact You?

To contact us about anything to do with your personal data and data protection, including to make a subject access request, please use the following details [(for the attention of Rachel Gallagher.

Email: info@meditationincheltenham.org.uk

Postal Address: Akanishta Kadampa Buddhist Centre, Whaddon Lodge, 59 Whaddon Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL52 5NE

12. Changes to this Privacy Notice

We may change this Privacy Notice from time to time. This may be necessary, for example, if the law changes, or if we change our business in a way that affects personal data protection.

Any changes will be made available online at https://meditationincheltenham.org.uk/privacy-policy/