Last updated: September 30th 2025

1. Who We Are

Friends of St Mary & St Eanswythe (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a community organisation supporting the preservation, promotion, and activities of St Mary & St Eanswythe Church in Folkestone.

Our website address is: friendsofstmaryandsteanswythe.org.uk

At the Friends of St Mary & St Eanswythe, we are committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of our visitors to our web site. In particular, we want you to know that the Friends of St Mary & St Eanswythe is not in the business of selling, renting or trading email lists with other companies and businesses for marketing purposes. We just don’t do that sort of thing. In this Privacy Policy, we’ve provided lots of detailed information on when and why we collect your personal information, how we use it, the limited conditions under which we may disclose it to others and how we keep it secure. Grab a cuppa and read on.

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2. The Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following information:

a. Information you provide directly

• When you make a purchase or donation via our WooCommerce store or JustGiving link
• When you become a member or sign up for our newsletter
• When you contact us by email or through our website forms
• When you register for or attend our local events

b. Information collected automatically

• Technical information (e.g. IP address, browser type, pages visited, time spent) via Google Analytics
• Cookies and similar technologies that help improve your browsing experience and site functionality

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3. How We Use Your Information

We use your data to:

• Process purchases and donations
• Administer memberships and event bookings
• Send updates, newsletters, and information about local events (via MailerLite)
• Improve our website and understand how visitors use it (via Google Analytics)
• Comply with legal and accounting obligations

We do not sell, rent, or share your data with third parties for marketing purposes.

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4. Payment & Donations

WooCommerce: When you make a purchase, your payment is processed securely via our chosen payment gateway (Stripe). We do not store your full card details.

JustGiving: Donations made through JustGiving are subject to their own privacy policy. We may receive your name and contact details if you choose to share them with us for acknowledgement purposes.

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5. Email & Mailing Lists

We use MailerLite to manage our mailing list and send newsletters.
By subscribing, you consent to your name and email address being stored and processed by MailerLite in accordance with their Privacy Policy (https://www.mailerlite.com/legal/privacy-policy).

You can unsubscribe at any time via the link in our emails.

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6. Cookies & Analytics

Our website uses cookies to ensure proper functionality and to collect anonymous usage data via Google Analytics
You can adjust your cookie settings in your browser or reject non-essential cookies when prompted.

For more information, see Google’s Privacy Policy (https://policies.google.com/privacy).

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7. How Long We Keep Your Data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary:

• Membership and donation records: up to 6 years (for legal and accounting purposes)
• Mailing list data: until you unsubscribe
• Event registration data: up to 12 months after the event

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8. Your Rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access, correct, or delete your personal data
• Withdraw consent at any time (e.g. unsubscribe from emails)
• Object to or restrict processing
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data is being mishandled.

For more information, visit ico.org.uk (https://ico.org.uk).

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9. How We Protect Your Data

We use secure servers, SSL encryption, and limited access protocols to protect your personal data. Only authorised individuals involved in our operations have access to it.

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10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact:
Friends of St Mary & St Eanswythe
Email: [email protected]

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