DATA PRIVACY NOTICE
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) of St Michael’s Church, Heighington
DATA PRIVACY NOTICE
1. Introduction
This Privacy Notice explains the types of personal data we may collect and hold when anyone interacts with us. It also explains how we will store and handle that data and keep it safe.
Personal data relates to a living individual (Data Subject), who can be identified from that data. Identification can be by the information alone or in conjunction with any other information in the data controller’s possession or likely to come into such possession. The processing of personal data is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
2. Who are we?
The PCC of St Michael’s Church, Heighington (Data Controller) decides how your personal data is processed and for what purposes.
3. What sort of personal data do we collect and hold?
In order to carry out the various services we provide we need to collect, hold and process personal data such as your name, address, telephone/mobile number, date of birth, religion and financial information.
4. How do we comply with Data Protection Law?
The PCC of St Michael’s Church, Heighington complies with its obligations under the GDPR by ensuring the personal data we hold is:
• Used lawfully, fairly and in a transparent way
• Collected only for valid purposes and not used in any way that is incompatible with those purposes
• Relevant and limited only to those purposes for which the data was collected
• Accurate and kept up to date
• Kept only as long as necessary
• Kept and destroyed securely, including ensuring that appropriate technical and security measures are in place to protect your personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access and disclosure
5. What is the legal basis for processing your personal data?
• Compliance with our legal obligations, or under Church Representation Rules:
- Birth, marriage and death registrations, electoral roll administration
- Employment, HMRC, Fundraising Regulator (Gift Aid, Free Will Giving, etc), social security or social protection law
- Consent to send you information about church events and newsletters
• We need your data to undertake our legitimate interests in a way which might reasonably be expected as part of the services we provide as a religious, not-for-profit body (eg providing information and administration for services, events, activities, news, etc).
• Acting on explicit consent of the Data Subject, in relation to a specific purpose. Your consent can be refused, restricted or withdrawn at any time (see below for details).
• We will only process data if:
- the processing relates to church members or former church members (or those who have regular contact with us in connection with the services we provide); and
- there is no disclosure to a third party without consent.
6. Where do we collect your data from?
We collect your data from:
• You
• The Diocese of Durham
• Funeral Director
7. What do we use your Personal data for?
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
• To enable us to provide a voluntary service for the benefit of the public living in the Parish of Heighington
• To maintain and administer church membership records
• To fundraise and promote the interests of St Michael’s Church
• To manage our employees and volunteers
• To maintain and administer our own accounts and records
• To process Gift Aid applications
• To inform you of news, events, activities and services running at St Michael’s
• To operate the St Michael’s Church website and deliver the services that individuals have requested
• To contact you to find out what you think about what we do and what we plan to do
• To share your contact details with the diocesan office so they can keep you informed about news, events, activities and services that will be occurring in the diocese and are relevant to the role you are undertaking
• To contact people who have requested or taken part in any church services or activities, to inform them of events that are relevant to those services, such as memorial services for families who have had funerals carried out in the church, or anniversary cards sent to anyone who has been baptised at the church
8. Sharing your personal data
Your personal data will be treated as strictly confidential and will only be shared with other members of the church and the Diocese in order to carry out a service for purposes connected with the church. We will only share your data with third parties outside of the parish with your consent, unless we are legally required to do so.
9. How long do we keep your personal data?
We keep data in accordance with the guidance set out in the Record Management Guides located on the Church of England website.
Specifically, we retain electoral roll data while it is still current; gift aid declarations and associated paperwork for up to 6 years after the calendar year to which they relate; and parish registers (baptisms, marriages, funerals) permanently.
10. Your rights and your personal data
Unless subject to an exemption under the GDPR, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data:
• The right to request a copy of your personal data which the PCC of St Michael’s Church, Heighington holds about you
• The right to request that the PCC of St Michael’s Church, Heighington corrects any personal data if it is found to be inaccurate or out of date
• The right to request your personal data is erased here it is no longer necessary for the PCC of St Michael’s Church, Heighington to retain such data
• The right to withdraw your consent to the processing at any time
• The right, where there is a dispute in relation to the accuracy or processing of your personal data, to request a restriction is placed on further processing
• The right to object to the processing of personal data, where applicable
• The right to request that we transfer some of your data to another controller. We will comply with your request where it is feasible to do so
• The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office
11. Further processing
If we wish to use your personal data for a different purpose, not covered by this Data Privacy Notice, then we will provide you with a new notice prior to commencing the processing and setting out the relevant purposes and processing conditions. Where and whenever necessary, we will seek your prior consent to the new processing.
12. Contact Details
To exercise all rights, queries or complaints relating to data protection, please contact:
the Parish Administrator via email at [email protected], or phone 07410 583920 to speak to one of the churchwardens
Contact details for the Information Commissioners Office:
The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire. SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113
Email: https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/email/
Revised: February 2026
Approved by St Michael’s Church PCC