In order to create and deliver a unique and personal Humanist Ceremony, it is necessary for me to get to know you and your family, and for you to share some personal information with me. Not everything you share may be included in the ceremony, and if it does, I want you to know that I take your privacy very seriously.

Lawful Basis for Collecting and Storing Personal Information

In the course of my business of preparing and conducting Humanist Ceremonies, I collect and process personal information about my customers, their families and possibly other people.

The Information Commissioner’s Office has confirmed (12.3.18) that Legitimate Use is an acceptable basis for storing all data in order to conduct a ceremony, including data belonging to family or friends who are living and are not the customer.

Customers are able to indicate their consent to my use of this information for the conduct of a ceremony by deleting as applicable on my data gathering document.          

What Data do I collect?

Names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, details of people’s lives including relationships with other people, activities such as work, leisure activities and if applicable political, trade union or activities in relation to religion or belief. This data takes the form of:

• Paper and electronic copies of scripts
• Completed Information Sheets and questionnaires (paper)
• Emails
• Text messages
• Facebook messages
• Photographs *

Existing Photographs may be provided to me for use on the Presentation Script which is given to the Customer. These Photographs will be deleted from my records after the ceremony. See ‘Who I share it with’ below for information on photographs taken at your ceremony.

What I do with Data

I write and conduct ceremonies, market my services, and keep records for business purposes.

I complete a booking form by hand when I am engaged by a client. This is used to prepare the ceremony script.

After the ceremony I keep this form for my business records. This contains basic information about the ceremony and the customer.

Who I share Data with

In the course of marketing my humanist ceremonies service it is helpful for me to be able to show some images on social media sites.

These images may be photographs taken at the ceremony and shared with me later – by you or your photographer. But occasionally I will take photographs myself. They may be of you, your child(ren), or of your family and friends.

When using your data in this way, I abide by these principles:

• Images will be tasteful, accurate and show people, subjects and ceremony only in the best light
• People in the photos will not be identified by name
• If the ceremony is held at home, the address will not be identifiable
• You can ask me to remove an image at any time
• You can withdraw your general consent to my sharing your images at any time
• Unused images will be deleted

In the case of funerals, I may share some information with Funeral Directors – although usually they will be sharing contact info for families with me initially.

I may share information at the customer’s request, with other family members or friends of the customer.

Scripts may be shared with colleagues for training and quality purposes and will be anonymised first.

How I store Data

• I keep electronic files including scripts, on an encrypted computer. I do not keep paper records of ceremonies
• When I am Peer Reviewed, as required by the terms of my Accreditation by Humanists UK, I share the script with my reviewer. They will destroy all copies electronic and printed once the review has been completed.
• I keep contact details on my electronic devices.

How long I keep information for

 

What it is	How long it’s kept for and how	How is it disposed of
Contract and booking information form	6 years from date of ceremony	Deleted
Paper copy of Script	48 hours after ceremony	Shredded
Electronic copy of Script	Encrypted computer. Archived after 12 months with personal info removed.	All Personal info removed then kept indefinitely in Archive for reference.
Contact details including Name address, tel number and email address,  on laptop and phone	Indefinitely with specific consent. Otherwise deleted after ceremony	Deleted within 48 hours of ceremony.
Photographs of ceremonies	Only kept and used or shared with specific consent.	Deleted on request within 48 hours.

 

Access to the information I hold about you

Customers may request access to the information I hold about them at any time, and I will provide this within one month of the request. You may request that your information is deleted, and I will do so within 48 hours of any request.

Consent

Specific Consent for the use of photographs for marketing purposes, may be given for a limited period of time, and may be withdrawn by you at any time. Should Consent be withdrawn, photographs will be deleted from my website/Facebook or other medium within 48 hours of receiving a request. Where photographs have been used in printed form eg leaflet, poster, further copies will not be printed.

Visitors to my website

In order to function, my website uses session cookies, but as soon as you leave the site these are deleted and the site does not retain any information about you or your computer.

Reviewing this Privacy Statement

This statement was produced on 5 April 2018.
First reviewed 5 April 2019
Last reviewed 5 April 2023

Ginny Collins