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Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

At New Hope Community Church (NHCC), we are committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, and store your personal information when you interact with our website or contact us.

 

2. Data Collected

Data Storage Location

New Hope Community Church operates within the United Kingdom. Any data you provide through our website may be stored on secure servers located in the UK or within the European Economic Area (EEA), ensuring compliance with UK GDPR regulations.

We work with trusted hosting providers who maintain high standards of data protection and security.

Registration Data

If you register on our website — for example, to sign up for an event, newsletter, or church-related resource — we may store your name, email address, and any additional personal details you provide. You can request to view, update, or delete your personal information at any time by contacting us. Website administrators may also access and manage this data to provide support or manage content.

Communication and Support Enquiries

If you contact us for general enquiries, pastoral support, or ministry-related assistance, any information you submit (such as name, email address, and message details) will be securely sent to our church email system. This data is used solely to respond to your request and is never used for marketing purposes or shared with third parties.

Comments

When visitors leave comments on our website (where enabled), we collect the data shown in the comments form, along with your IP address and browser information to help detect spam and ensure site security.

Contact Form

Information submitted via our website’s contact forms is sent directly to our church email, which is securely hosted. This information is used only to respond to your message or query and is not shared or used for promotional purposes.

Website Analytics

We may use Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with our website. This helps us improve your online experience and ensure our site is functioning well. All data collected is anonymous and does not include personal information. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by using this link: Google Analytics Opt-Out.

How We Use Your Personal Data

Your personal information may be used for the following purposes:

  • To respond to enquiries or pastoral support requests;

  • To manage event registrations and communication;

  • To send you important updates or church announcements (with your consent);

  • To maintain the safety and security of our website and digital services;

  • To improve your experience when using our website.

3. Embedded Content

Some pages on our website may include embedded content — for example, videos from YouTube or social media feeds. Embedded content from other websites behaves in the same way as if you had visited those websites directly.

These third-party sites may collect data about you, use cookies, include additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with their embedded content. This may include tracking your interactions if you have an account with them and are logged in.

Below are the platforms we may use and their privacy policies:

Facebook
We may display our church’s Facebook timeline using the Facebook Page Plugin. Facebook operates under its own privacy and cookie policies, which we do not control. No cookies are set and no data is sent to Facebook until you give consent.
You can view Facebook’s privacy policy here: Facebook Privacy Policy

Twitter (X)
Our website may feature our church’s latest tweets using the Twitter (X) API. Like Facebook, Twitter has its own cookie and privacy policies. Your IP address will not be shared with Twitter unless you provide consent.
You can view Twitter’s privacy policy here: Twitter Privacy Policy

YouTube
We sometimes embed YouTube videos to share sermons, messages, or updates. YouTube (owned by Google) also has its own cookie and privacy policies. No cookies are installed and no data is shared with YouTube until you give your consent.
You can view YouTube’s privacy policy here: YouTube Privacy Policy

4. Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small text files placed on your device — to help improve your browsing experience. Cookies can be used to remember your preferences, enhance website performance, and provide anonymised data to tools like Google Analytics.

Cookies are generally helpful and exist to make your experience smoother and more personalised. However, if you prefer, you can disable cookies in your web browser settings. For guidance on how to do this, please refer to the help section of your browser.

Necessary Cookies (for all visitors)

  • cfduid – Used by our content delivery network (Cloudflare) to identify individual visitors behind shared IP addresses and apply appropriate security settings.
    View Cloudflare’s Privacy Policy

  • PHPSESSID – Stores a unique session ID for your visit, allowing the website to recognise your session as you navigate the site.

5. Who Has Access to Your Data

If you are not a registered user of our website (e.g. signing up for an event or newsletter), we do not collect or retain personal information that can identify you.

If you do register or provide personal information through our site, your data may be accessed by:

  • Website administrators – to manage the site and provide technical support.

  • Authorised church team members – when necessary to respond to your enquiry, process event registrations, or provide relevant pastoral or administrative support.

We take care to ensure that only those who need access to your information are able to view it, and only for purposes related to your interaction with New Hope Community Church.

6. How Long We Retain Your Data

If you leave a comment on our website (where applicable), the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This allows us to recognise and approve any follow-up comments automatically, rather than holding them in a moderation queue.

If you register on our site (for example, to sign up for events or newsletters), we will store the personal information you provide in your user profile. You can view, edit, or request deletion of your information at any time (with the exception of your username). Website administrators also have access to this information in order to manage accounts and respond to queries.

7. Security Measures

We use SSL/HTTPS encryption across our website. This ensures that any data transferred between your browser and our servers is securely encrypted, helping to protect your personal information from unauthorised access.

In the unlikely event of a data breach, we will act swiftly to investigate the issue, protect affected data, notify those impacted, and take appropriate steps such as resetting passwords if necessary.

8. Your Data Rights

Your Rights Under UK Data Protection Law

If you have interacted with our website — such as by registering an account or submitting a form — you have the right to:

  • Request access to the personal data we hold about you

  • Request that we correct or update your information

  • Request that we delete your personal data (where legally permissible)

  • Request a copy of your personal data in a portable format

  • Withdraw consent for us to process your data (where applicable)

Please note that some information may need to be retained for legal, administrative, or safeguarding reasons. If your data is deleted, we may no longer be able to provide access to certain features or services (e.g. event registrations or mailing lists).

GDPR Compliance

As a UK-based church, New Hope Community Church complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), which mirrors key aspects of the EU GDPR. We are committed to handling your data responsibly and in line with these standards.

If you have concerns about how your data is handled, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the UK: www.ico.org.uk

9. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, such as YouTube, Facebook, or other Christian resources. While we do our best to link to trustworthy sources, New Hope Community Church is not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or security of external websites.

When you click on a third-party link, you are subject to that website’s own privacy policy and terms of service. We encourage you to review those policies before sharing any personal information with them.

10. Release of Your Data for Legal Purposes

There may be occasions where it becomes necessary for New Hope Community Church to release your personal information in response to a lawful request from a government body, law enforcement agency, or through legal proceedings.

We will only disclose your data where we believe, in good faith, that it is required to:

  • Comply with legal obligations

  • Assist with a criminal investigation or safeguarding concern

  • Respond to a court order or subpoena

  • Prevent fraud or other unlawful activity

  • Protect the rights, safety, or integrity of individuals or the church

If we receive a legal request for your data, we may attempt to inform you where appropriate and legally permissible. However, we are not obligated to do so in every case.

Any disclosure of personal data for legal purposes will always be done in accordance with applicable UK data protection laws and only when absolutely necessary.

If you have any questions about how your data is handled or would like to make a data access request, please contact us at:
[email protected]