Privacy Policy
Peeblesshire Archaeological Society Privacy Policy
**Peeblesshire Archaeological Society**
Last updated: 20 August 2026
## 1. Our commitment to privacy
Peeblesshire Archaeological Society ("PAS", "we", "us", "our") respects your privacy. This policy explains what personal information we collect through our website, peeblesarchsoc.org.uk, how we use it, and your rights over it under UK data protection law (UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018).
We only collect and process personal data when we have a proper reason to do so, and we never sell or rent your information to anyone.
## 2. Information we collect
**Site tracking**
Our website uses Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site — for example, how many people visit, which pages are popular, and how visitors find us. Google Analytics may record your general location, device, browser, and IP address. We do not use this data to personally identify you.
**Contact and membership enquiries**
If you contact us through the website (for example, via a contact form, email link, or membership enquiry), we collect the personal details you provide, such as your name, email address, and any message content, in order to respond to you or process your enquiry.
**Cookies**
Our website may use cookies or similar technologies to support site functionality, such as remembering settings during your visit. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings.
## 3. How we use your information
We use your personal information only for the purpose it was provided, such as:
- responding to enquiries or membership applications
- keeping members informed about talks, events, and Society news
- understanding how our website is used, so we can improve it
We do not use your information for any unrelated purpose, and we do not share it with third parties except as set out in this policy.
## 4. Third-party data processors
We use a small number of trusted third parties to help us run our website and its services. These providers only process personal data to the extent necessary to deliver their service to us, and each has their own privacy policy which we encourage you to read:
- **Google** — provides website analytics ([Privacy Policy](https://www.google.com/intl/en-GB/policies/privacy/))
- **Digital Essence** — designs and hosts our website ([Privacy Policy](https://digitalessence.net/terms-and-conditions/privacy-policy/))
## 5. Data security
We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold, including relying on the security measures our website hosting provider has in place. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of data sent to us via the website.
## 6. Data retention
We keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected — for example, membership records are kept for as long as you remain a member, and enquiry details are kept only as long as needed to deal with your enquiry.
## 7. Children's privacy
Our website is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16.
## 8. Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:
- ask what personal information we hold about you
- ask us to correct inaccurate information
- ask us to delete your information, in certain circumstances
- object to or restrict how we use your information
- withdraw consent, where we rely on consent to process your data
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details on our website. If you remain unhappy with how we've handled your data, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.
## 9. Other websites
Our website may contain links to other websites, such as related societies or event venues. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites, and we encourage you to read their privacy policies.
## 10. Changes to this policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page.
## 11. Contact us
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your personal information, please get in touch via the contact details on our website.