Privacy Policy

1. About this Privacy Policy

Pontygwaith Allotment Society ("we", "us", "our" or "PASS") operates the Pontygwaith Allotment Society website and associated member services.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information when you use our website, member services or any associated PASS application.

We are committed to handling personal information responsibly and in accordance with applicable UK data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Information we collect

Depending on how you use the PASS website and services, we may collect the following information:

• Account information, such as your name, email address and account details.
• Membership information, such as membership status, NAS membership information and membership-related records.
• Plot information, such as your allocated plot, plot history, plot status and information you choose to record about your plot.
• Growing information, including bed names, crops, varieties, planting dates, harvest information, notes and growing history that you choose to save.
• Profile information, such as a profile photograph, biography or Welsh language preference where you choose to provide these.
• Photos and community content, including photographs, recipes, questions, answers, comments or other content that you choose to submit to the website.
• Payment and transaction information relating to shop purchases, donations, sponsorships, membership fees or other payments. Payment card details are processed by the relevant payment provider and are not stored directly by PASS.
• Communications, including information contained in emails or other messages sent to or received from PASS.
• Technical information, such as information required for the website or application to function securely, including authentication information and basic technical information associated with your use of the service.
• Saved preferences, such as language and appearance preferences stored on your device.

3. How we use your information

We use personal information where necessary to:

• create and manage member accounts;
• manage allotment plots and memberships;
• provide plot planning and growing-record features;
• maintain membership and payment records;
• process shop purchases, donations and sponsorships;
• send account, membership and service-related emails;
• provide website notifications and member communications;
• display content that users have chosen to make public;
• respond to enquiries and requests;
• maintain the security and reliability of our services;
• prevent misuse, fraud or unauthorised access; and
• comply with legal obligations where we are required to do so.

We do not sell your personal information.

4. Member accounts

Some PASS services require an account. Account information is used to authenticate you and provide access to member-only services.

Members are responsible for keeping their login credentials secure and should contact the PASS committee if they believe their account has been accessed without permission.

5. Plot Planner and growing records

PASS provides features that allow members to record information about their plots, beds, crops, planting and harvesting.

This information is provided voluntarily by the member and is used to provide the relevant plot planning and growing-record features.

Plot and growing information may be retained while it is needed to provide the member service and maintain appropriate allotment records.

6. Photos and user-submitted content

If you upload photographs, recipes, questions, answers or other content, you choose what information to submit.

Some content may be displayed publicly on the PASS website where the relevant feature is designed for public sharing. Members should avoid submitting personal information about themselves or other people that they do not want publicly displayed.

PASS may remove content where necessary to maintain the website, protect users or comply with applicable rules or legal requirements.

7. Payments

PASS may use third-party payment services to process payments such as shop purchases, donations, sponsorships and other transactions.

Payment providers process payment information in accordance with their own privacy policies and security requirements. PASS does not intentionally store complete payment card numbers or security codes on its own systems.

8. Service providers

We use trusted third-party technology providers to operate parts of the PASS website and services. These may include providers responsible for:

• secure database and authentication services;
• website hosting and deployment;
• email delivery;
• payment processing; and
• other technical services required to operate PASS.

These providers may process information on our behalf where necessary to provide their services. We aim to use appropriate providers and security measures for the information they process.

9. Cookies and local storage

The PASS website may use cookies, browser storage or similar technologies where necessary to provide functionality.

For example, the website may store preferences such as language, appearance or seasonal theme settings on your device.

These technologies may also be used where necessary to maintain login sessions, protect the service and provide requested functionality.

10. Information sharing

We only share personal information where there is a legitimate reason to do so, including where it is necessary to provide a service, process a payment, send an email, maintain the website, comply with a legal obligation or protect the rights and safety of users and the Society.

We do not sell personal information to third parties or use member information for unrelated advertising purposes.

11. Data security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, loss or destruction.

Information transmitted between your device and our services is protected using appropriate secure communication technologies where supported by the service.

Access to member information within PASS is restricted according to the requirements of the relevant service and the role of the user.

However, no internet-based service can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

12. How long we keep information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including providing services, maintaining appropriate Society records, resolving disputes and meeting legal or accounting requirements.

Different types of information may therefore be retained for different periods.

Where information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to delete it or anonymise it, subject to any legal or legitimate record-keeping requirements.

13. Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, UK data protection law gives you rights including the right to:

• request access to personal information we hold about you;
• request correction of inaccurate information;
• request deletion of personal information where applicable;
• request restriction of processing in certain circumstances;
• object to certain types of processing; and
• request information about how your personal data is being processed.

These rights are subject to applicable legal conditions and exemptions.

14. Account deletion

Members may request deletion of their PASS account and associated personal information.

To request account deletion, please contact the Pontygwaith Allotment Society committee through the website and clearly state that you want your member account and associated personal information deleted.

We will review the request and take appropriate steps to delete information that we are not required or entitled to retain.

Certain Society, financial, transaction or legal records may need to be retained where there is a legitimate or legal requirement to do so.

15. Children's privacy

PASS is intended for use by allotment members and the wider community. It is not designed as a service specifically directed at children.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children where doing so is not appropriate or authorised.

16. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to the PASS website, application, services, legal requirements or the way we handle information.

When we make significant changes, we will update the "Last updated" date shown at the top of this page.

17. Contact us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise your data protection rights, or want to request deletion of your account or personal information, please contact the Pontygwaith Allotment Society committee through the PASS website.

Contact the Pontygwaith Allotment Society committee