The Historical Diving Society Privacy Policy

Dated                       3 May 2023

Governing Body       The Historical Diving Society

Approved by            Chairman Mike O’Meara

This policy will be published and reviewed from time to time and at least every 5 years

Maximum date of Validity   05/05/2028

 

Privacy Policy

This privacy policy sets out how The Historical Diving Society (HDS) uses and protects any information that you give the HDS when you use this website.

The HDS is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected and complies with the legal requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations of the EU. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

For the purpose of the Data Protection Act 1998 until 24 May 2018 and thereafter the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the “GDPR”), the data controller is The Historical Diving Society registered in England & Wales, company no. 9204944. Registered Charity Number 1159032. By Data Controller, this means The Historical Diving Society determines the purposes and way in which any personal data are, or will be, processed.

Should you need to contact us in relation to this privacy notice, please contact info@thehds.com

The HDS may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from July 2019.

 

What we collect

We collect only the information you give us permission to record, in order to fulfil our services to you, such as:

• Your name and title
• Your contact information including email address
• Demographic information such as your postcode, preferences and interests
• Other information relevant to any offers the HDS may make
• Your Internet Protocol (IP) address and details of which version of web browser you used
• Information on how you use the site, using cookies and page tagging techniques

 

Google Analytics Information. We use Google Analytics software to collect information about how you use our website. Google Analytics stores information about:

• the pages you visit
• how long you spend on each page
• how you got to the site
• what you click on while you are visiting the site

NB: Your personal information from Google Analytics (for example your name or address) is not collected or stored so this information cannot be used to identify who you are.

NB: When purchasing items using a credit/debit card, the HDS has no access whatsoever to your credit/debit card data. This is known only to the credit card processing authority and is gathered only in order to complete your purchase.

 

What we do with the information we gather

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

• In order to respond to any requests or feedback you send us, if you have asked us to
• to carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between you and us and to provide you with the information, products and services that you request from us
• In order to deliver your purchases and our publications
• In order to send you our e-mailed newsletter, RopeSignal (if you have elected to receive it) using the email address that you provide.
• In order to send you e-mail notifications of new blog posts on the website (if you have elected to receive them) using the email address that you provide.
• To communicate with you any changes in the annual subscription rates and member benefits.
• For our own internal record keeping.

We collect information through Google Analytics to monitor how you use the site. We do this to help:

• Make sure the site is meeting the needs of its users
• Make improvements, for example improving site searchability
• Gather feedback to improve our services
• Monitor use of the site to identify security threats

We are obliged to share some information in order to enable us to fulfill our obligations to you and to prevent fraud. In that respect, the Historical Diving Society works with a number of trusted third parties in order to provide you with the highest quality services you expect from us. For example:

• delivery companies
• product technicians (to improve website development)
• analytics and search engine providers (to improve our website and social media communications)
• fraud prevention agencies
• Legislative bodies (where required by law, for example, by court order or to prevent fraud or other crime)

We will not:

• sell or rent your data to third parties
• share your data with third parties for marketing purposes

 

How we protect your data and keep it secure

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we will do our best to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to our sites; any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your information, we will use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access.

 

Where your data is processed and stored

We design, build and run our systems to make sure that your data is as safe as possible at all stages, both while it is processed and when it is stored.

The data that we collect from you will be stored only by data processors authorised by the HDS. At this time and until further notice this is Two Blue Toucans who are developing our new web site.

Some of the information you provide to us may be transferred outside the European Economic Area. We also work with suppliers and partners who may make use of cloud and/or hosted technologies to ensure the security of your data.

 

How we use cookies

Cookies are small encrypted text files that are stored on your computer or other device by this website. Cookies allow us to help you get the best out of your visit to the website and improve your user experience.

Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use the following types of cookies:

• Strictly necessary cookies: These are cookies that are required for the operation of our website. They help to keep our website secure and prevent website attacks.
• Analytical/performance cookies: These cookies are used to collect information about how visitors use our site and how well the website is performing. We use this information to compile reports which help us to improve the site. We use Google Analytics to collect this information in an anonymous form, including the number of visitors to the site, where visitors have come to the site from and the pages visited. You can visit Google’s website for details of their privacy policy. We also use Smartlook to anonymously track how visitors to the site interact with it and navigate around it. This helps us to ensure that the layout of our website is easy to use.

Most web browsers automatically accept cookies but you can set your browser to accept or reject all specific cookies. To learn how to disable cookies or opt out of their usage please visit aboutcookies.org. Please note, however, rejecting cookies may impair the functionality of this website.

A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

 

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

 

Your Rights

You have the right to request:

• Information about how your personal data is processed
• A copy of that personal data
• That anything inaccurate in your personal data is corrected immediately

You can also:

• Raise an objection about how your personal data is processed
• Request that your personal data is erased if there is no longer a justification for it
• Ask that the processing of your personal data is restricted in certain circumstances

If you have any of these requests, contact us at info@thehds.com.

If you would like a copy of the information held on you please email info@thehds.com or write to The Chairman, The Historical Diving Society, 35 The Avenue, Gosport, PO12 2JS. A small fee will be payable for this information. Questions, comments and requests regarding this privacy notice are welcomed and should be addressed to info@thehds.com.

If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible at the above address. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.