Privacy Policy

Quick Summary

We take your privacy seriously. Here’s the brief version:

What we collect:
Name, contact details, emergency contacts, relevant health information, payment details, trip attendance, skills and
training records, and equipment loan history.
When we collect it:
When you join, book trips, attend training, borrow gear, or interact with our website and communications.
Why we collect it:
To run your membership, organise safe trips, track your skills development, manage equipment loans, and keep you
informed about club activities.
Who we share with:
British Caving Association (BCA) for insurance, our payment processor (Stripe), our accounting system (Xero), and
trip accommodation providers where necessary. We never sell your data.
Where it’s stored:
Primarily within the UK/EEA, with some data processed by services based outside the EEA (with appropriate
safeguards).
Your rights:
You can access, correct, or request deletion of your data at any time.

1. Who We Are

The Caving Crew (“the Crew”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) is a recreational caving club affiliated with the British Caving
Association. We are a “Data Controller” under UK data protection law and are committed to protecting and respecting
your privacy.

We gather and process your personal information in accordance with this privacy policy and in compliance with the UK
General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Data Protection Officer:
The Secretary

Contact:
[email protected]

Website:
cavingcrew.com

It is important that the information we hold about you is accurate and up to date. Please let us know if your personal
information changes.

2. What Data We Collect

2.1 Personal Contact Details

Information that allows us to contact you and manage your membership:

Full name and title
Home address
Email address
Telephone number(s)
Emergency contact details (name, relationship, phone number)
Date of birth

2.2 Membership and Activity Data

Information relating to your participation in club activities:

Membership type and status
BCA membership number
Trip attendance and booking history
Skills and qualifications (e.g., SRT competency, leadership status)
Training course participation and progression
Equipment loan records
Volunteering roles and contributions

2.3 Transaction and Payment Data

Information relating to financial transactions:

Payment card details (processed securely via Stripe – we do not store full card numbers)
Bank account details (for refunds where applicable)
Transaction history for membership fees, trip fees, and training costs
Refund records

2.4 Technical Data

Information collected automatically when you use our website:

IP address
Browser type and version
Operating system
Time zone and location settings
Pages visited and interaction patterns
Referring website

2.5 Health and Safety Information

Relevant information to ensure your safety underground:

Medical conditions that may affect your ability to participate safely
Allergies (particularly relevant for weekend trips with catering)
Medications that trip leaders should be aware of
Mobility or fitness considerations
Any condition requiring emergency medication (e.g., EpiPen, inhaler)

Important:
We only ask for health information that is directly relevant to keeping you safe on caving activities. You should only
provide information that may require awareness or action from trip leaders or other participants.

2.6 Media and Communications

Photographs and videos taken during club activities
Communications preferences
Feedback and survey responses

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data through:

Direct interactions
when you:

Apply for membership via our website
Book onto trips or training courses
Complete health declaration forms
Borrow club equipment
Contact us by email, phone, or social media
Participate in surveys or provide feedback
Attend club events and activities

Automated technologies
including:

Cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website
Server logs recording website visits
Analytics services (Google Analytics)

Third parties
including:

British Caving Association (membership verification)
Payment processors (transaction confirmations)

4. How We Use Your Data

4.1 Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

Purpose	Legal Basis
Administering your membership	Performance of contract
Processing trip bookings and payments	Performance of contract
Providing BCA insurance coverage	Performance of contract
Tracking skills and training progression	Legitimate interests
Managing equipment loans	Legitimate interests
Sending club communications	Legitimate interests / Consent
Health and safety management	Vital interests / Legitimate interests
Website analytics and improvement	Legitimate interests
Responding to incidents and emergencies	Vital interests / Legal obligation

4.2 Specific Processing Activities

Membership Administration

Processing membership applications and renewals
Registering you with the BCA for insurance purposes
Maintaining accurate membership records
Communicating membership-related information

Trip and Event Management

Processing trip bookings and payments
Creating trip rosters and contact sheets
Sharing relevant details with accommodation providers
Managing waiting lists
Coordinating transport arrangements

Training and Development

Recording training attendance and outcomes
Tracking skills progression
Identifying members ready for leadership development
Planning future training based on club needs

Equipment Management

Recording equipment loans and returns
Tracking gear condition and maintenance needs
Ensuring fair access to club equipment
Supporting members in purchasing their own gear

Safety and Emergency Response

Providing trip leaders with relevant health information
Enabling emergency contact in case of incidents
Reporting to cave rescue organisations if required
Meeting our duty of care obligations

Communications

Sending trip announcements and updates
Sharing club news and achievements
Notifying you of relevant training opportunities
Annual General Meeting communications

5. Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell your personal data. We share data only as necessary for club operations:

5.1 British Caving Association (BCA)

As a BCA-affiliated club, we share member details with the BCA for:

Insurance registration and coverage
National membership benefits
Statistical reporting (anonymised)

The BCA becomes a joint controller of this data. Their privacy policy is available at:british-caving.org.uk/privacy

5.2 Service Providers

We use the following services to operate the club:

Service	Purpose	Data Shared
Stripe	Payment processing	Payment details, transaction data
Xero	Accounting	Transaction records, basic contact details
WordPress/NeoCrew	Website and booking	Account details, booking history
Cloudflare	Website hosting	Technical data (IP addresses)
Google Analytics	Website analytics	Anonymised usage data
Facebook/Instagram	Social media	Only what you choose to share publicly

5.3 Trip-Related Sharing

For specific trips, we may share limited information with:

Accommodation providers (names, dietary requirements, numbers)
External instructors (names, relevant skills/experience)
Landowners/access controllers (numbers attending, for access compliance)

5.4 Emergency Services

In an emergency, we will share relevant information with:

Cave rescue organisations
Emergency medical services
Police or other emergency responders

5.5 Legal Requirements

We may disclose personal data if required by law or to protect the vital interests of any person.

6. Where We Store Your Data

Your data is primarily stored within the United Kingdom and European Economic Area (EEA).

Some of our service providers process data outside the EEA. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in
place, including:

Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the ICO
Adequacy decisions by the UK government
Binding Corporate Rules where applicable

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary. After this, data is securely deleted or anonymised for statistical
purposes.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data:

Secure, password-protected systems for all club data
Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS)
Access controls limiting data access to those who need it
Regular review of who has access to sensitive information
Secure deletion of data when no longer needed
Training for committee members on data protection responsibilities

9. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:

Access
– Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you

Rectification
– Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data

Erasure
– Request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements)

Restriction
– Request that we limit how we use your data

Portability
– Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format

Objection
– Object to processing based on legitimate interests

Withdraw consent
– Where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at:[email protected]

We will respond to legitimate requests within one month. We may need to verify your identity before processing your
request.

10. Children and Young People

In line with our Under 18 Policy, we recognise anyone under 18 as a child under The Children Act 1989.

When processing children’s personal data:

We require parental/guardian consent for membership
We apply additional safeguards to protect their information
We limit access to children’s data to those who need it
We do not use children’s data for marketing purposes

11. Photography and Video

Photographs and videos are regularly taken at club events. By participating in club activities, you acknowledge that
you may appear in such media.

We use photos and videos to:

Document club activities and trips
Promote the club on our website and social media
Create trip reports for members

If you do not wish to be photographed:

Inform the trip leader at the start of the activity
Contact us to request removal of specific images

Our full Video and Photo Policy provides additional detail on media consent and usage.

12. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. These include:

Essential cookies
– Required for the website to function (login, bookings)

Analytics cookies
– Help us understand how visitors use our site (Google Analytics)

Preference cookies
– Remember your settings and preferences

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

13. Third-Party Links

Our website may link to external sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites. We
encourage you to read the privacy notice of every site you visit.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy periodically. Material changes will be communicated via:

Email to all members
Notice on our website
Announcement at committee meetings

The version number and date at the top of this document indicate the current version.

15. Contact Us

For questions about this policy or your personal data:

Data Protection Officer:
The Secretary

Email:
[email protected]

Website:
cavingcrew.com/contact

16. Complaints

We aim to resolve any concerns about data protection directly. If you are unsatisfied with our response, you have the
right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office:

Website:
ico.org.uk/concerns

Phone:
0303 123 1113

Address:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Related Policies

Under 18 Policy
Video and Photo Policy
Code of Conduct
Emergency Policy

Document Control

Version	Date	Author	Changes
1.0	November 2023	Committee	Initial version (adapted from Climbing Clan)
2.0	January 2026	Committee	Comprehensive update reflecting current systems and practices

Version: 2.0

Last updated: 16 July 2025

Updated by: Committee Majority Approval

View in Google Docs