Privacy Policy

Last reviewed: [add date when this policy is approved]

Who we are

Gillingham Lodge of Benevolence No. 184 is the data controller for information submitted through this website. You can reach us by email at [SECRETARY_EMAIL] or by telephone on [PHONE].

What we collect and why

We only collect information you choose to send us through one of our two forms.

• Membership enquiry form: your name, email address, optional telephone number, town or postcode, confirmation that you are 18 or over, how you heard about us, and any message you write.
• Contact form: your name, email address, subject and message.

We use this information for one purpose only: to reply to you and, if you are enquiring about membership, to arrange the friendly conversations described on our Become a Freemason page.

When you submit a form we also record a short technical fingerprint of the request, so that we can protect the forms from automated abuse. It is not used to identify you.

Our lawful basis

We rely on your consent, which you give by ticking the consent box on the form. You may withdraw it at any time by emailing us, and we will delete your details.

Who can see your information

Enquiries are read by the Lodge Secretary and, where necessary, by the small number of Lodge officers involved in replying to you. We never sell your information, and we do not share it for marketing.

Your submission is stored on our website hosting and database platform, which processes it on our behalf under a written agreement, on servers in the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area.

How long we keep it

We keep enquiries for [12 months — confirm retention period] and then delete them, unless you become a member of the Lodge or ask us to keep in touch for longer.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to ask us for a copy of the information we hold about you, to have it corrected or deleted, to restrict or object to how we use it, and to withdraw your consent. Please email [SECRETARY_EMAIL] and we will respond within one month.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information you may complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

Photographs

We publish photographs only where everyone identifiable in them has given written consent, and we do not publish the names or addresses of our members.

Cookies

Our use of cookies is explained in our Cookie Policy.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy we will update the review date above and, where the change is significant, say so clearly on this page.