Last updated: June 2026
Guildford Mountaineering Club (“GMC”) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of the personal information we hold. This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and how we protect it.
Our Commitment
We take the privacy of our members seriously and only use personal information for the administration of the club, organising activities and communicating with members.
Access to member information is restricted to those who need it to carry out club business, including the Membership Secretary, Treasurer, Meet Leaders, Webmaster(s) and other authorised committee members where appropriate.
We will never sell your personal information or share it with third parties for marketing purposes.
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Why we collect your information
We process personal information in order to:
* administer club membership;
* organise climbing, walking, mountaineering and social activities;
* communicate with current, prospective and former members;
* manage meet bookings and participant information;
* administer our affiliation with the British Mountaineering Council (BMC);
* maintain financial records and membership records;
* operate and secure the club website.
We do not use your personal information to market third-party products or events.
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Information we collect
Depending upon your involvement with the club we may collect:
* Name
* Postal address
* Email address
* Telephone number(s)
* Date of birth
* Emergency contact details
* Vehicle registration (where relevant to meets)
* Membership category and history
* Meet participation records
* Photographs taken during club activities
* Website account information
* Messages and posts made through club communication systems
* WhatsApp participation (optional)
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Information shared with the British Mountaineering Council
As a BMC-affiliated club, we provide the following information to the British Mountaineering Council (BMC):
* Name
* Contact details
* Date of birth
This enables the BMC to administer your membership and any associated benefits, including liability insurance.
The BMC may contact you directly regarding your membership and will invite you to create a Member Profile where you can manage your privacy preferences.
Further information can be found on the BMC Privacy Policy.
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Membership categories
We maintain the following membership categories:
* Full
* Introductory
* Pending Renewal (normally up to two months after expiry)
* Lapsed (normally up to twelve months after expiry)
* Deleted (archived for a further twelve months before permanent removal)
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How long we keep your information
We only keep personal information for as long as necessary.
Generally:
* Membership records are retained whilst you are an active member.
* Former member records are retained for up to 24 months after membership ends.
* Financial records, receipts and payment information are retained for at least six years.
* Historical photographs and member names appearing in club records, newsletters or trip reports may be retained indefinitely as part of the club’s historical archive.
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Information shared within the club
Certain information is shared with other members where necessary for club activities.
Member directory
Active members may be able to view:
* Name
* Profile photograph
* Contact details (where permitted)
Meet organisation
Meet participants may share:
* Mobile telephone number
* Vehicle registration
* Emergency contact
* Meeting arrangements
Meet leaders receive participant contact information solely for administering the meet and should securely dispose of any printed information once it is no longer required.
WhatsApp
Members may choose to join club WhatsApp groups on an entirely optional basis.
Participation is by opt-in only. Mobile numbers, names and messages shared within these groups are visible to other participants.
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Cookies
Our website uses a small number of cookies and browser storage technologies.
These include:
Cookie / Storage Purpose
PHP Session Cookie Maintains your login session while using the members’ area.
cookieAccepted (Local Storage) Remembers that you have dismissed the cookie notification.
We do not currently use advertising cookies or third-party tracking cookies.
Some embedded services, such as Google Maps or WordPress content, may set their own cookies in accordance with their own privacy policies.
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How we protect your information
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information.
These include:
* Password-protected website accounts
* Secure hosting and encrypted connections where available
* Restricted administrator access
* Encryption of sensitive files where appropriate
* Secure storage of paper records
* Regular software maintenance and security updates
Committee members who hold personal information outside the website are expected to keep it securely and dispose of it safely when no longer required.
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Your rights
Under UK data protection legislation you have the right to:
* know what personal information we hold;
* request access to your information;
* request correction of inaccurate information;
* request deletion where appropriate;
* object to certain types of processing.
Most members can view and update much of their own information by logging into the club website.
Formal subject access requests should be made to a club officer. We aim to respond without undue delay and normally within one month.
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Data breaches
If a personal data breach occurs, the committee will investigate it promptly, record the incident and take appropriate action.
Where required by law:
* serious breaches will be reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) within 72 hours; and
* affected individuals will be informed where there is a high risk to their rights or freedoms.
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Contact
If you have any questions about this Privacy, Data Protection & Cookie Policy, or how Guildford Mountaineering Club handles your personal information, please contact the committee through the club contact page.
