Privacy Policy

Who we are

The Wartime Maritime Memorial Association C.I.C. is a Community Interest Company Limited by Guarantee.

We operate a community benefit lock mandated for CICs, reinvest every surplus, and act as the data controller for information gathered through this website as well as through membership, grant, educational, archival, and event activities.

Personal data we collect

We collect and process the following information when you engage with the Association:

• Account and membership details such as name, email, phone number, chosen membership type, motivations, and vessel details supplied when joining or applying for director roles.
• Contact enquiries including your name, email, subject, and message content when you submit the contact form.
• Grant and stewardship information covering vessel names, service history, project summaries, materials needed, requested amounts, compliance confirmations, and steward reports.
• Boat registries and crew including vessel specifications (build year, construction material, dimensions, websites), owner notes, images, and crew contact details.
• Education & skills programmes such as sea skills activity completions, evidence text or files, assessor details, Duke of Edinburgh IDs, and progress dates.
• Ship reports & research including URLs you submit, payload data required to generate reports, and status updates.
• News contributions such as article drafts, categories, and publication metadata if you submit or share stories.
• Digital interactions such as IP addresses, device/browser information, and analytics data gathered through essential cookies to keep the site secure and performant.

We do not intentionally collect data relating to children under 13. If such data is provided, we remove it promptly.

Lawful basis for processing

We rely on the following lawful bases under UK GDPR:

• Consent – for marketing communications, publishing stories or images, and including you in the Living Custodian Network or heritage archives.
• Contract – to administer membership services, manage grant applications, deliver educational programmes, or process event bookings.
• Legal obligation – to meet company law, CIC regulations, safeguarding duties, and financial reporting requirements.
• Legitimate interests – to maintain archives, protect heritage vessels, improve programmes, and further our community benefit objectives while balancing your rights.

How we use your data

• Respond to enquiries, volunteer offers, and historical research requests.
• Administer memberships, grants, events, seamanship profiles, and the Small Craft Plank Grant Scheme.
• Maintain memorial rolls, vessel registries, oral history archives, evidence of skills completion, and statutory registers.
• Share news, fundraising opportunities, and heritage updates when you opt in.
• Validate submissions, prevent fraud, and ensure the security and performance of our digital platforms.
• Support responsible search engine indexing (including Google) to improve how our public content is discovered.

Statutory records & Articles compliance

Our Articles require us to keep members’ registers, minutes, records of resolutions, and annual accounts for at least ten years.

When you become a member or act as a Director, we record your name, contact details, class of membership, declarations of interest, and relevant insurance or indemnity information. These records are stored securely, used only for lawful corporate purposes such as issuing meeting notices, and retained no longer than necessary. Sensitive personal information is never published in public minutes.

Sharing your information

We do not sell personal data. We may share information with carefully selected service providers (such as email newsletter platforms, web hosts, form processing, file storage, or event partners) who process data on our behalf under written agreements.

Key service partners include:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS) – our digital infrastructure provider for hosting, storage, backups, and secure delivery of our online services.
• The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) – for the administration and management of DofE activity records, evidence, and progress tracking where you participate in award programmes.
• Google – for reCAPTCHA spam prevention and analytics tools that help us understand website usage and maintain service security.
• Falconis Solutions Limited – for membership systems support and infrastructure services.

Data may also be shared with regulators or law enforcement where required by UK law, or with partner organisations when you have provided explicit consent.

Whenever data leaves the UK we use appropriate safeguards, such as UK-approved standard contractual clauses.

Cookies & analytics

We use essential cookies to keep the site running, maintain session security, and remember your preferences.

Where optional analytics or performance tools are enabled, we gather anonymised or pseudonymised usage data (including Google analytics services) to understand how the site is used and to improve accessibility. You can manage cookies through your browser settings, though blocking essential cookies may affect site functionality.

Cookie policy

We use cookies to enhance browsing security, keep sessions running, and understand website usage through analytics. The table below outlines the cookies currently in use on this website.

Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, to meet regulatory or insurance requirements, and to maintain an accurate historical record where you have consented.

• Membership and director records: held for the life of the relationship and at least ten years in line with CIC and company law obligations.
• Grant documentation and financial records: retained for at least seven years for audit and reporting.
• Education and sea skills evidence: retained for programme delivery and verification, then reviewed annually.
• Contact enquiries and routine correspondence: retained for up to two years unless needed longer to resolve issues.
• Heritage archives, vessel registries, and published stories: retained indefinitely when you have consented to archival use.

How we protect your data

We use encryption, access controls, regular backups, and least-privilege principles to protect information. Third-party processors must meet our security standards.

While no system is completely secure, we regularly review safeguards and respond promptly to incidents.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Request deletion of your data where there is no lawful reason for us to continue processing it.
• Restrict or object to processing in certain circumstances, including direct marketing.
• Request data portability for information you provided to us.
• Withdraw consent at any time when processing is based on consent.

To exercise these rights, email hq@wartimevessels.org with details of your request.

Questions or concerns

If you have concerns about how your information is handled, please contact the Data Protection Lead at hq@wartimevessels.org or write to us at The Innovation Centre, Brunswick Street, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 0PQ, United Kingdom. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Updates to this policy

We may update this notice to reflect changes in our activities or legal requirements.

The “last updated” date will change accordingly, and significant updates will be communicated through our website or by email where appropriate.