Website: https://online.watersandacland.co.uk
1. Who We Are
We are Waters & Acland Digital Ltd, the operator of this website. You can contact us regarding any privacy-related questions at digital@watersandacland.co.uk
We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and your rights under the GDPR and UK Data Protection law.
2. Information We Collect
a) Comments
When visitors leave comments, we collect:
- Name
- Email address
- Comment content
- IP address
- Browser user agent string
We use this information to manage comments and detect spam. After approval, your profile picture (if using Gravatar) is visible alongside your comment.
Gravatar: https://automattic.com/privacy
b) Media
If you upload images, please avoid including embedded location data (EXIF GPS), as visitors may download and extract this information.
c) User Accounts / Memberships
When you register on our website, we may collect:
- Name and email
- Membership plan details
- Login credentials and activity logs (courses, progress, interactions)
Administrators can access this data to manage accounts and subscriptions. Users can view, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except usernames).
d) Payments
We process payments via Stripe. Stripe handles all payment processing and stores payment information on their servers. We do not store or have access to your card details
We may share your name and email address with Stripe to process the payment.
For more details, see Stripe’s privacy policy: https://stripe.com/privacy
e) Cookies
Our site uses cookies for functionality and user convenience:
- Comments cookies: Save your name, email, and website for future comments (1 year).
- Login cookies: Save login status (2 days) and screen preferences (1 year). “Remember Me” extends login to 2 weeks.
- Post editing cookies: Indicates the post ID recently edited (1 day).
- Temporary cookies: Determine if your browser accepts cookies (discarded on close).
If you use additional tracking or analytics tools, those cookies will be described separately, and you can manage consent via your browser.
f) Embedded Content
Embedded content (e.g., videos, images, articles) from other websites behaves as if you visited that website directly. These websites may collect data, use cookies, or track interactions if you are logged in.
g) Third-Party Services
We may share your data with third-party tools that help operate our site or provide services, such as:
- Stripe (payments)
- Email marketing tools (e.g., Mailchimp – if applicable)
- Analytics (e.g., Google Analytics – if applicable)
Replace/add services as needed.
3. How We Use Your Data
We use your personal data to:
- Manage your account and membership
- Process payments via Stripe (we do not store or see your card details)
- Provide customer support
- Improve our website and services
- Prevent spam and fraud
- We use email notifications to provide core platform functionality, including updates and responses to user activity within the online school.
4. Data Retention
- Comments and metadata: retained indefinitely to manage follow-up comments.
- User account data: retained for as long as your account is active or as required for legal/administrative purposes.
- Payment data: stored according to Stripe’s policies.
5. Giveaways, Promotions & Free Membership Registration
From time to time we run promotions that may require personal data such as name and email address. This data is used to administer the promotion and to provide access to our online school.
By registering as a free member, users may receive essential service-related emails, including notifications about account activity, forum replies, or content they have interacted with. These emails are part of the normal operation of the online school and cannot be opted out of without closing the account.
We may occasionally email you about our courses, new projects, and resources. You can opt out of marketing emails at any time without affecting your giveaway entries or free membership.
6. Your Rights
Under GDPR/UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access your personal data
- Request correction or deletion
- Object to processing or restrict use
- Request data portability
You can exercise these rights by contacting digital@watersandacland.co.uk.
Some data may be retained if required for legal, security, or administrative purposes.
7. Where Your Data Is Sent
- Comments may be checked through automated spam detection services.
- Payment information is processed via Stripe.
- Third-party tools may process data as described above.
8. Children’s Privacy
Our website is not directed to children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. Updates will be posted on this page with the date of revision.
10. Contact Us
For privacy-related questions or requests:
Email: digital@watersandacland.co.uk
Website: https://online.watersandacland.co.uk