Havering Astronomical Society

Privacy and UK GDPR Policy

This policy is written and updated as necessary to ensure that Havering Astronomical Society (HAS) complies with the Data Protection Act 2018, which incorporates the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UKGDPR). The UKGDPR provides a set of standard data protection laws making it easier for members to understand how your data is being used and to give you greater control over its use.

We recognize that members may be concerned about their personal information that they provide to us and how HAS treat that information.  Our privacy policy will hopefully address any concerns that members may have. This policy will be available on request, it will be available on the HAS website, and it will be drawn to the attention of new members.

We reserve the right to update our privacy policy from time to time if felt necessary.

HAS is a member of the Federation of Astronomical Societies (FAS). FAS and other societies have their own versions of these policies.

Data Protection
Havering Astronomical Society undertakes to collect and use your personal data (see below) in compliance with the UKGDPR. Our legal basis for processing your data is our legitimate interest as an astronomical society. We use your data for administrative purposes such as a register of our members and to update and inform you of our meetings and events.

The Data Controller keeps all data about members electronically.  

For the purpose of the UKGDPR, the Secretary is the HAS Data Controller.  

The Membership Secretary can be contacted on secretary@havastro.co.uk.

What data do we collect and what is it for?
The needs for the Society are simple and are purposely kept to a minimum.  We collect your name, address, postcode, email address, telephone number, mobile phone number. We also collect how you want HAS to communicate with you i.e., by post, phone, or email.  Junior members are aged under 18 and their records should be kept on the main register.

Where visiting speakers’ data is in the public domain, this policy does not apply.

Where do we get it from and to whom do we give it?
We obtain data from you at the time you register interest and when you become a member of HAS. The minimum information requested is a member’s name. In the unlikely event that a prospective member does not want their name registered then they will not be allowed to become a member. This ensures that the Society can subscribe to the Public Liability Insurance provided under our membership of the FAS.

The data that is held about you will be shown to you when the annual subscription is due for payment, and you can confirm them or notify us of any necessary changes.

We do not share your data with any third parties apart from: 

FAS - they maintain a record of the Secretary and Treasurer for administrative purposes. 

What do we do to ensure data security? 
Members' data is stored electronically by the Data Controller and backed up offline. A printed copy is held by the Secretary / Data Controller. Data records can only be altered or deleted by or under the direction the Secretary / Data Controller.

How can you see what data we hold about you and limit its use? 
Members can access their data by contacting the Secretary / Data Controller - secretary@havastro.co.uk .

How can you ask for inaccuracies in your data to be corrected?
You can ask for any corrections you require to be made to your data that we hold by contacting the Secretary / Data Controller.

How long do we keep your data?
We will keep your data for as long as you are a member of Havering Astronomical Society. We will then keep it for a further two years after which it is deleted from our records unless you request us to delete it earlier.

Definition of term “We” as referred to within this policy
The term “we”, when used within the context of this privacy policy document, refers in general to the Society’s Committee as a whole and to those individual officers therein with regards to accessing members' data in order to conduct their roles and the Society’s aims.


End of Policy

Leslie Jones 
Chairperson
February 2023 
Share by: