Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
Ashford Dharmik & Cultural Society (“ADCS”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you visit our website, contact us, register for our activities, volunteer with us, subscribe to our newsletter, or make a donation.
We process personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
By using our website, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
2. Who We Are
Ashford Dharmik & Cultural Society
Registered Charity Number: 1214238
Address: 10 Dering Road, TN24 8DB, Ashford, Kent, UK
Email: adcs.kent@gmail.com
If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us using the details above.
3. Information We Collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following information.
Membership Applications
When applying for membership, we may collect:
- Full Name
- Address
- Date of Birth
- Email Address
- Nationality
- Profession
- Emergency Contact Details
Contact Information
When you contact us through our website or by email, we may collect:
- Full Name
- Email Address
- Telephone Number
- Any information you choose to include in your message
Newsletter Subscription
If you subscribe to our newsletter, we may collect:
- Name
- Email Address
You may unsubscribe at any time by following the unsubscribe link included in our emails or by contacting us directly.
Donations
When making a donation, we may collect information necessary to process your contribution, including:
- Name
- Email Address
- Donation Amount
- Payment Confirmation
Please note that payment card details are processed securely by our payment provider. Ashford Dharmik & Cultural Society does not store or have access to your full payment card information.
Volunteer Registration
If you register as a volunteer, we may collect information including:
- Full Name
- Contact Details
- Areas of Interest
- Availability
- Any additional information you voluntarily provide
This information is used solely for managing volunteering opportunities and communicating with volunteers.
Event Photography and Videos
Photographs and videos may be taken during public events organised by Ashford Dharmik & Cultural Society. These images may be used for:
- Our website
- Community newsletters
- Event reports
- Promotional material
- Official social media channels
- Future event publicity
Where reasonably possible, we respect requests regarding photographs, particularly those involving children or safeguarding concerns.
If you believe an image featuring you or your child has been published inappropriately, please contact us and we will carefully review your request.
4. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal information to:
- Respond to enquiries
- Communicate with members and visitors
- Manage volunteer registrations
- Process donations
- Send newsletters (where you have subscribed)
- Organise community events
- Improve our website and services
- Meet legal and regulatory obligations
We only use your information for the purposes for which it was collected.
5. Our Legal Basis for Processing
Under the UK GDPR, we process personal information using one or more of the following lawful bases:
- Your consent
- Performance of a contract
- Compliance with legal obligations
- Legitimate interests in operating and improving our charitable activities
Where consent is required, you may withdraw it at any time.
6. Cookies
Our website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience and to ensure the website functions correctly. Cookies may be used to:
- Remember your cookie preferences
- Improve website performance
- Maintain website security
- Support essential website functionality
Where required by law, we request your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device. You can manage your cookie preferences at any time through our Cookie Settings.
7. Third-Party Services
Our website may make use of carefully selected third-party services, including:
- Website hosting
- Email services
- Donation processing services
- Google reCAPTCHA (spam and fraud prevention)
- Embedded YouTube videos (where applicable)
These providers process information only where necessary to provide their services and are expected to comply with applicable data protection requirements.
This site uses Google reCAPTCHA to help protect our donation and contact forms against spam and abuse. Your use of this site is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
Ashford Dharmik & Cultural Society is not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites that may be linked from our website. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external websites you visit.
8. Website Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to help protect your personal information against:
- Unauthorised access
- Loss
- Misuse
- Alteration
- Disclosure
Although we strive to protect your information, no method of internet transmission or electronic storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
9. Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting and regulatory requirements. When personal information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or anonymised.
10. Your Rights
Under the UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Request access to your personal information
- Request correction of inaccurate information
- Request deletion of your personal information (where applicable)
- Request restriction of processing
- Object to certain types of processing
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
- Request a copy of your personal information
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact details provided in this Privacy Policy.
11. Children’s Privacy
Ashford Dharmik & Cultural Society organises family and community events that may be attended by children. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children through our website without appropriate consent where required. Parents or guardians who have concerns regarding personal information relating to a child may contact us at any time.
12. International Data Transfers
Some third-party service providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where this occurs, appropriate safeguards will be used to ensure your personal information remains protected in accordance with UK data protection laws.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, our services or our website. The latest version will always be published on this page together with the “Last Updated” date. We encourage visitors to review this Privacy Policy periodically.
14. Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or how we process your personal information, please contact us.
Ashford Dharmik & Cultural Society
Registered Charity Number: 1214238
Address: 10 Dering Road, TN24 8DB, Ashford, Kent, UK
Email: adcs.kent@gmail.com
If you remain dissatisfied with how your personal information has been handled, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent authority for data protection.
Website: https://ico.org.uk
Ashford Dharmik & Cultural Society is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is handled responsibly, transparently and in accordance with UK data protection legislation.