Legal & Compliance

Privacy Policy

Last reviewed: 9 April 2026  ·  Semington Community Benefit Society Limited  ·  FCA Reg. No. 9716

Plain English summary: We are a small community group. We only collect data you voluntarily give us (e.g. your name and email if you contact us or donate). We do not sell your data. We do not use it for advertising. You can ask us to delete it at any time.

Section 01

Who We Are

This Privacy Policy applies to Semington Community Benefit Society Limited ("Semington CBS", "we", "us", "our"), a community benefit society registered with the Financial Conduct Authority under registration number 9716.

We operate this website (the "Site") to support our campaign to purchase, renovate and reopen The Somerset Arms public house in Semington, Wiltshire. We are the data controller for the personal data described in this policy.

Registered address: High Street, Semington, Wiltshire, BA14 6JR
Contact: info@semington-cbs.co.uk

This policy is made in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Section 02

What Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that you actively provide to us. We do not use tracking tools that collect data without your knowledge.

Data Type How Collected Purpose
Name Contact form, email, donation platforms To address communications to you
Email address Contact form, email, newsletter sign-up To respond to enquiries and send campaign updates
Phone number Voluntarily provided via email or form To contact you if requested
Donation data Third-party platforms (e.g. Crowdfunder) To acknowledge donations; processed by the platform, not us
Message content Contact form or direct email To respond to your enquiry or volunteering interest
IP address / browser data Automatically via web server logs Security and basic website performance monitoring only

We do not collect sensitive personal data (e.g. health data, financial account details, political opinions).

Section 03

Legal Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. We rely on the following:

Processing ActivityLegal Basis (UK GDPR Article 6)
Responding to a contact form or email enquiry Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)) — responding to a request you initiated
Sending campaign updates to subscribers Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) — you opted in
Volunteer coordination Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)) — managing the volunteer relationship
Complying with legal obligations (e.g. financial records) Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c))
Share register maintenance (once shares are issued) Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) — required under FCA/CBS rules

Where we rely on consent: You may withdraw your consent at any time by emailing us at info@semington-cbs.co.uk. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

Section 04

How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data only for the purposes for which it was collected:

  • To respond to your enquiries, questions or messages
  • To send campaign news and updates (only if you have subscribed or consented)
  • To coordinate volunteer activities
  • To administer share applications (when the share offer launches)
  • To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations as a registered CBS
  • To monitor and maintain secure operation of this website

We will never use your data for unsolicited commercial marketing, sell or rent your data to any third party, or use it for profiling or automated decision-making.

Section 05

Data Sharing & Third Parties

We do not sell, trade, or transfer your personal data to outside parties except in the following limited circumstances:

  • Crowdfunder.co.uk — our donation platform. When you donate through Crowdfunder, your data is processed under their own privacy policy. We receive only anonymised donation totals unless you contact us directly.
  • Email service providers — any email tool used to send newsletters will process your email address. We will only use services that provide adequate data protection safeguards.
  • Legal requirements — we may disclose your data where required by law, court order, or regulatory authority (including the FCA).
  • Plunkett UK — our supporting charity. We do not share personal data with Plunkett UK unless you have specifically requested support or contact from them.

All third parties with whom we share data are required to handle it in accordance with applicable UK data protection law.

Section 06

Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected and to comply with our legal obligations:

Data TypeRetention Period
Contact enquiries (form / email) 2 years from last contact, then securely deleted
Newsletter subscriber list Until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent
Volunteer records Duration of the project + 2 years
Financial / donation records 7 years (required by HMRC and company law)
Share register (once live) Duration of the Society's existence and as required by FCA rules
Web server logs (IP addresses) Up to 90 days, then automatically deleted
Section 07

Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the following rights in relation to your personal data. These rights are not absolute and may be subject to exemptions, but we will always respond within one calendar month of receiving a request.

Right of Access

You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (a Subject Access Request).

Right to Rectification

You can ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold.

Right to Erasure

You can ask us to delete your personal data where there is no lawful reason to continue processing it.

Right to Restriction

You can ask us to restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances (e.g. while accuracy is contested).

Right to Portability

Where processing is based on consent or contract, you can request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.

Right to Object

You can object to processing based on legitimate interests, including for direct marketing purposes.

Right to Withdraw Consent

Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting prior lawful processing.

Rights re: Automated Decisions

We do not use automated decision-making or profiling. This right is therefore not currently applicable.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@semington-cbs.co.uk. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

Section 08

Cookies

This website uses cookies. For full information on the cookies we use, the purposes for which they are used, and how to manage your preferences, please see our Cookie Policy.

In summary, we use only essential cookies necessary for the website to function. We do not use advertising, tracking or analytical cookies that require your consent without first obtaining it.

Section 09

Third-Party Links

Our website contains links to third-party websites including Crowdfunder, the FCA Mutuals Register, Plunkett UK, and BBC News. We have no control over the content or privacy practices of these sites and are not responsible for them.

We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any external website you visit via a link on our site.

Section 10

Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against accidental loss, destruction, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access. These include:

  • Using HTTPS encryption on this website
  • Restricting access to personal data to committee members who need it to perform their role
  • Storing data on secure, password-protected systems
  • Reviewing and updating security practices as the organisation grows

Despite these measures, data transmission over the internet is not completely secure. Any transmission is at your own risk. Once we receive your data, we apply strict procedures to prevent unauthorised access.

Section 11

Children

This website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such data, please contact us immediately and we will delete it.

Section 12

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as our activities develop or if required by changes in law. The date at the top of the page will always reflect the most recent version.

Where changes are material, we will notify subscribers by email. Continued use of the website after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Section 13

Contact & Complaints

If you have any questions about this policy, wish to exercise your data rights, or have a concern about how we handle your data, please contact us:

Semington Community Benefit Society Limited
Data enquiries: info@semington-cbs.co.uk
High Street, Semington, Wiltshire, BA14 6JR

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK's supervisory authority:

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Website: ico.org.uk
Helpline: 0303 123 1113
Post: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF