Privacy Policy

Torbay Civic Society | Registered Charity No. 272015 | Last updated: 22 July 2026

Torbay Civic Society ("we", "us", "our") operates this website and its online shop. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and the rights you have over it.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Who we are

Torbay Civic Society is a registered charity in England and Wales (Charity No. 272015). For the purposes of data protection law, we are the data controller for the personal information described in this policy.

Contact for privacy matters: The Chair, Torbay Civic Society sally@torbaycivicsociety.co.uk

What information we collect

We collect only the following personal information: your name, address, telephone number, and email address.

We collect it in two situations:

When you buy from our shop When you place an order for a printed book or a digital download, we collect your name, email address, billing address, and, for printed items, your delivery address and telephone number where needed for delivery. Payment card details are collected and processed by our payment provider and never reach our own systems.

When you become a member or ask to be kept informed We collect your name, address, telephone number, and email address so we can keep you informed about the Society's activities, events, and news.

Our website is hosted by Squarespace, which also collects certain technical information automatically, such as your IP address, browser type, and pages visited. This is used for site functionality, security, and analytics. See the cookies section below.

How we use your information

We use your information only to:

  • Process and fulfil shop orders, including posting printed books and delivering digital downloads

  • Keep members and supporters informed about the Society's activities

  • Keep records we are legally required to keep, such as accounting records

  • Maintain the security and performance of the website

We do not use your information for any other purpose.

Our lawful bases

Under UK GDPR we rely on the following lawful bases:

  • Contract: processing your order details so we can fulfil your purchase

  • Legal obligation: retaining transaction records for accounting and tax purposes

  • Consent: keeping you informed about the Society's activities where you have asked us to. You can withdraw consent at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe link in any email

  • Legitimate interests: keeping the website secure and understanding how the site is used

Who we share your information with

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with service providers who help us run the website and shop:

  • Squarespace, Inc. hosts this website and processes payments for orders placed through the shop via Squarespace Payments. Squarespace's privacy policy is available at squarespace.com/privacy. We never see or store your full card details

  • Royal Mail receives your name and delivery address so printed orders can be posted to you within the UK. For orders outside the UK we use other couriers appropriate to the destination, who receive the same delivery details

Some of these providers are based outside the UK. Where personal data is transferred internationally, it is protected by safeguards recognised under UK law, such as the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework or standard contractual clauses.

Third-party content on this site

Some pages load content from third parties:

  • Our blue plaque map is built with Leaflet and loads map tiles from OpenStreetMap. When the map loads, your browser requests those tiles directly from OpenStreetMap's servers, which will see your IP address. OpenStreetMap's privacy policy is available at osmfoundation.org

  • Our planning tracker displays information from a Google Sheet. Loading that page involves a request to Google's servers

These providers may set their own cookies or collect technical data under their own privacy policies.

Cookies

This website uses cookies. Some are strictly necessary for the site and shop to function, such as keeping items in your basket and keeping you logged in during checkout. Others are used for analytics to help us understand how the site is used.

You can manage non-essential cookies through the cookie banner shown when you first visit the site, and through your browser settings. For details of the cookies Squarespace sets, see squarespace.com/cookie-policy.

How long we keep your information

  • Order and transaction records: 7 years, in line with our accounting requirements

  • Membership and mailing details: until you unsubscribe or ask us to remove you

Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

  • Ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you

  • Ask us to correct inaccurate information

  • Ask us to delete your information

  • Object to or restrict how we process your information

  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

  • Ask for your data in a portable format

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details above. We will respond within one month.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

Children

Our website and shop are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be published on this page with the date it was last updated.