Our Privacy Policy

Who we are

The Hardy Plant Society North East Group (HPSNE) is a membership organisation registered with The Hardy Plant Society (HPS), which exists to promote interest in and conservation of hardy herbaceous perennial plants. All members of the HPSNE must, in accordance with the constitutions of both organisations, be members of the HPS. The committee of the HPSNE acts as the organisation’s data controller for thepurposes of the GDPR. Individual officers of the Committee may act as data processors, in particular the Chair, Secretary and Membership Secretary.

Why we keep personal data and our legal basis for doing so

HPSNE keeps and uses personal data in order to run the Group efficiently and to provide our membership with the services they have paid for. To do this the Officers and others involved in the organisation of the Group from time to time need to know who our members are and to be able to communicate with them. The Group is therefore adopting the legal basis of ‘Legitimate Interest’ to justify holding and using your personal data. The committee is satisfied that it is in the legitimate interests of the HPSNE to maintain this data, that it is necessary and proportionate to do so and that the purposes for which the data is used cannot be achieved in any other, less intrusive, way.

What we keep and what we do with it

HPSNE stores and uses your contact details as provided by you either directly to ourselves or via the HPS office. Those details are your name, address (and alternative address if provided), telephone number and email address. We also have a record of your National membership number, the date you joined and last renewed your membership and your method of payment. We do not keep any bank details. We do keep a record of those attending meetings.

We use the information to keep you informed about HPSNE activities and other things that may be of interest to you and to send you newsletters and reminders to renew your membership.

The information is held electronically on password protected personal computers and in paper form as required. Every effort is made to ensure that your data is secure. The data of all members of the Group is held by the Chair, Secretary, and Membership Secretary. Individual members’ details are made available to and held by other Committee members and other members involved in organising activities as and when required.

Who we share it with

We do not and will not share your information with anyone outside of the HPSNE except for the staff of the HPS. A full membership list with all contact details is provided annually to the office of the HPS to ensure that all our members comply with the requirement to be a member of the HPS and to assist in maintaining accurate records. At other times, individual data will be shared with the HPS office on request from the staff or to inform them of any changes.

How long we keep it

We keep your information for the duration of your membership of the HPSNE and for 16 weeks after your last payment becomes due unless you tell us that you do not wish to re-join. If you inform us that you are cancelling your membership all your data will be deleted from the electronic record as soon as possible and in any event within 4 weeks from us receiving that information.

Your rights under the GDPR

You have the right to:

•   Be informed about the collection and use of your personal data
•   Access the data held (a copy of your data will be provided on request)
•   Have any inaccuracies in your data corrected
•   Request your details be deleted from our records
•   Request that the use of your personal data is restricted

You have the right to object to the use of your personal data at any time.If you wish to exercise any of the rights outlined above please contact the Group Secretary

Amanda Mason northeast@hardy-plant.org.uk 

01670 739892/07761 024492