Privacy Policy

Who are you?

We are Braintree Beekeepers, which is a division of Essex Beekeepers’ Association (EBKA), a registered charity in England and Wales, Charity Number 1031419 and an affiliate of the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA).

What information do you collect?

We collect personal data when you join Braintree Beekeepers, attend our training, or contact us. This may include the following

• Members and Associate Members – Full name, title, date of birth, postal address, What3Words address, email address, contact telephone numbers, start date, committee roles, number of hives, experience and beekeeping qualifications.
• Non-Members – Name and contact details provided during enquiries (eg swarm reporting or course bookings).
• Financial Data – Records of membership subscription payments. Note – we do not store full credit card or payment details as these are processed by our secure third-party provider.
• Technical Data – IP addresses and website usage via cookies as made available and automatically collected during website engagement.
  

How do you use my data?

We process your data under the following legal basis

• Contract – To manage your membership, Bee Diseases Insurance (BDI), and BBKA affiliation.
• Legitimate Interests – To send newsletters, organise local meetings, promote Braintree Beekeepers, its services and beekeeping within the local community and elsewhere.
• Legal Obligation – For Gift Aid claims, safeguarding requirements or as required by law.
• Explicit Consent – For marketing communications to non-members, use of personal images and name for promotional purposes or appearing on public “Swarm Collector” lists.
• Analysis – We use third-party analytical tools to help us understand how visitors are using and engaging with our website. This allows us to make improvements to our web services and your online experience. Tracking tools use small text files placed on your device to remember information about your visit (Cookies) and report website usage statistics. We do not collect personal information or identify individual visitors to either third-party analytical services or our website.
  

Do you Share my Data?

We will never sell your data and will only share information with Legal Authorities as required by law. We only share necessary information and with the following organistions:

• EBKA & BBKA – For national membership registration.
• Bee Diseases Insurance (BDI) – To process your hive insurance.
• His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – To process Gift Aid declarations.
  

How do you assure my data retention and security?

We use appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost or accessed in an unauthorised way. We do not keep data longer than necessary and only to the extent detailed below

• Membership Records – Retained for the duration of membership plus three years (unless removal is requested earlier).
• Financial and Gift Aid – Retained for seven years to meet HMRC audit requirements.
• Enquiries (eg Swarm removal requests) – Deleted after the enquiry is resolved and as determined by the relevant Committee Member (eg Swarm Coordinator for The Division).
  

What are my Rights?

Under UK GDPR legislation, you have the right to:

• Access – Request a copy of your data (Subject Access Request).
• Rectify – Demand the correction of inaccurate information.
• Erase – Request deletion of your data (this may end your membership).
• Withdraw Consent – At any time for optional communications.
• Object – Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
  

How do I contact you?

For any data queries, contact our Secretary in the first instance by email to secbraintreebeekeepers@outlook.com or using the contact form within this website.

Do I have a right to complain?

Yes. If you have a concern about how we handle your personal data, you have the right to lodge a formal complaint directly with us and expect us to address it as outlined below.

How do I lodge a complaint?

Please submit your complaint in writing to our Secretary via:

• Direct Email: secretary@braintreebeekeepers.org.uk, or
• Online Form: https://braintreebeekeepers.org.uk/contact/
  

What is your Complaints Procedure and timelines?

In accordance with the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, we follow a strict statutory process:

• Acknowledgement – We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 30 days.
• Investigation – We will conduct a thorough internal review of your concerns. We may “stop the clock” on our response time if we need further information from you to clarify your request or demand, or to verify your identity.
• Outcome – We aim to give a full substantive response as soon as reasonably possible. If we cannot resolve your complaint within a reasonable time-frame, We will provide an explanation for the delay.
  

How do I escalate a complaint?

If you are unhappy with our final response, or if we fail to acknowledge your complaint within 30 days, you have the right to escalate your concern to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). You can do this via the ICO Make a Complaint Page or by calling their helpline on 0303 123 1113.

What is your Policy Review and Update Procedure?

This Policy will be reviewed at least annually by the Braintree Beekeepers’ Committee and following any changes to: UK data protection laws; operational processes and procedures related to data retention, sharing procedures, or technology including (but not limited to) analytics, use of artificial intelligence (AI), or marketing tools.

The Committee Member responsible for this policy, including its transparency, timely updating, accuracy and compliance with legislation is the member responsible for Digital Media who also acts as the Data Protection Officer for Braintree Beekeepers.