Data Protection Policy (GDPR)

Your Personal Data: What Is It?

Personal data relates to a living individual who can be identified from that data.  Identification can be by the information alone or in conjunction with any other information in the data controller’s possession or likely to come into such possession. The processing of personal data is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”).

Who Are We? 

The PCC of Christ Church Lowestoft is the data controller (contact details below). This means it decides how your personal data is processed and for what purposes.

How Do We Process Your Personal Data?

We obtain your details by asking you to fill in our consent form. The PCC of Christ Church Lowestoft complies with its obligations under the “GDPR” by keeping personal data up to date; by storing and destroying it securely; by not collecting or retaining excessive amounts of data; by protecting personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access and disclosure and by ensuring that appropriate technical measures are in place to protect personal data.

All data is protected:

• By password on the Church Office computer and by PIN on Microsoft 365.
• The Church Office is kept locked. 
• The relevant cabinets are kept locked.
• Bulk emails i.e. Friday Flyers are sent out by blind carbon copy (BCC) so recipients' addresses are not seen.
• Church Directories are kept in the Church Office which is locked.
• Your name will only appear on our Prayer Lists with your consent.

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• Electoral Roll.
• Church Directory (available from the Church Office for church members only).
• Pastoral care and prayer, within the Staff Team.
• Management of employees and volunteers.
• Occasional fundraising appeals.
• Maintenance of our own accounts and records (including the processing of gift aid applications).
• To inform you of news, events, activities and services running at Christ Church.
• PCC members' contact details are sent to the Norwich Diocesan Office so they can keep you informed about their news, events, activities and services.

Sharing Your Personal Data

Your personal data will be treated as strictly confidential and will only be shared with other members of the church for purposes directly connected with the church. We will only share your data with third parties outside of the parish with your consent.

How Long Do We Keep Your Personal Data?

We keep data in accordance with the guidance set out in the guide “Keep or Bin: Care of Your Parish Records” which is available from the Church of England website. Specifically, we retain electoral roll data while it is still current; gift aid declarations and associated paperwork for up to 6 years after the calendar year to which they relate; and parish registers (baptisms, marriages, funerals) permanently.

Your Rights And Your Personal Data  

Unless subject to an exemption under the GDPR, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data:

• The right to request a copy of your personal data which Christ Church, Lowestoft holds about you.
• The right to request that the PCC of Christ Church, Lowestoft corrects any personal data if it is found to be inaccurate or out of date.
• The right to request your personal data is erased where it is no longer necessary for the PCC Christ Church, Lowestoft to retain such data.
• The right to withdraw your consent to the processing at any time.
• The right to request that the data controller provide the data subject with his/her personal data and where possible, to transmit that data directly to another data controller.
• The right, where there is a dispute in relation to the accuracy or processing of your personal data, to request a restriction is placed on further processing.
• The right to object to the processing of personal data.
• The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office.

Further Processing

If we wish to use your personal data for a new purpose, not covered by this Data Protection Notice, then we will provide you with a new notice explaining this new use prior to commencing the processing and setting out the relevant purposes and processing conditions. Where and whenever necessary, we will seek your prior consent to the new processing.

Data Protection Queries

To exercise all relevant rights, queries or complaints please in the first instance Contact Us.