Privacy Policy

The Felixstowe Barnacle ("we", "us", "our") is a local events directory covering Felixstowe and the Suffolk Coast, operated from the United Kingdom. This policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and what rights you have over it.

We take your privacy seriously. We collect only what we need, keep it only as long as we must, and never sell it to anyone.

1. Who We Are

The Felixstowe Barnacle is the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. If you have any questions, contact us at [email protected].

2. What Data We Collect and Why

We collect personal data in the following circumstances.

Event Submissions

When you submit an event via the "Add Your Event" form, we collect your name, email address, phone number (optional), and the details of your event. We use this data to review your submission, publish the event on the site, and send you a confirmation email. The legal basis is legitimate interests — running a local events directory and communicating with event organisers.

Newsletter Subscriptions

When you subscribe to the Barnacle newsletter — either via the sign-up form on the site or by clicking the single-click subscribe link in a submission confirmation email — we collect your email address. We also record the source of your subscription and a one-way hash of your IP address (for spam prevention only; we cannot reverse this to identify you). We use this data to send you the newsletter. The legal basis is consent. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any newsletter email.

Accuracy Review Responses

When an event organiser responds to an accuracy review request, we collect their name, email address, phone number, and any corrections they provide. We use this data solely to update the event listing and maintain a record of the review. The legal basis is legitimate interests.

Location Requests

If you suggest a new location via the event submission form, we collect your name and email address alongside the location details. We use this to review the request and notify you of the outcome. The legal basis is legitimate interests.

Site Analytics

We use Umami Analytics, a privacy-first analytics tool, to understand how visitors use the site. Umami does not use cookies and does not collect personally identifiable information. It records anonymised page views and referrer data only. No data is shared with advertising networks.

3. Third-Party Processors

We share data with the following third-party services, each of which processes data on our behalf under appropriate data processing agreements.

We do not share your data with any other third parties, and we do not sell personal data.

4. How Long We Keep Your Data

We keep event submission data for as long as the event is listed on the site, plus a reasonable period afterwards for record-keeping purposes. Newsletter subscriber data is kept until you unsubscribe, at which point we mark your record as unsubscribed and cease sending emails. We do not delete unsubscribed records immediately, as we retain them to honour your opt-out and prevent accidental re-subscription.

Accuracy review responses are kept for as long as the associated event listing is live. If you ask us to delete your data, we will do so subject to any legal obligations to retain it.

5. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data.

• Access. You can ask us for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification. You can ask us to correct inaccurate data.
• Erasure. You can ask us to delete your data where there is no lawful reason for us to continue holding it.
• Restriction. You can ask us to restrict how we use your data while a complaint is being resolved.
• Objection. You can object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Portability. You can ask for your data in a machine-readable format where processing is based on consent or contract.
• Withdraw consent. Where processing is based on consent (e.g. newsletter), you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at [email protected]. We will respond within one month.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

6. Cookies

We use a small number of technical cookies necessary for the site to function. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. For full details, see our Cookie Policy.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure. All data in transit is encrypted via HTTPS. Database access is restricted to authorised personnel only.

8. Children

This site is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the site after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact

For any privacy-related questions or requests, contact us at [email protected].