The short version

We only collect what you send us, or what we need to run the club for members.
Google Analytics only runs if you choose Accept in the cookie banner. No advertising cookies, ever.
We never sell your details or pass them on for marketing.
You can ask to see, correct or delete what we hold about you at any time.

1 Who we are

Exeter Business Club is a non-profit, member-run business networking club that meets every Friday at the ISCA Centre, Summer Lane, Exeter EX4 8NT. It's run by a volunteer committee elected by the members each year. When this page says "we" or "us", it means the club.

The club is the controller of the personal information described here. If you have any questions, email committee@exeterbusinessclub.co.uk.

2 What we collect and why

When you book a visit

We ask for your name, business name, profession, email address, phone number and which Friday you'd like to come, plus anything else you choose to tell us, such as how you heard about us, which member invited you, and any food allergies. We use it to confirm your place, include you in the breakfast order, check whether your profession overlaps with an existing member's, and follow up after your visit. We ask everyone whether they have any food allergies. Any allergy goes to the venue's kitchen on the breakfast order for your visit and nowhere else, and comes off our booking lists once you've stopped visiting. We also keep a record of what you told us, and when we passed it on, for three years (see How long we keep it). We also note which Fridays you came to, so we know when you've used your free visits. If the seat for your profession is already taken, we can keep you on a waiting list and let you know when it comes free.

When you send us a message

We ask for your name, email address and message, and you can add your phone number and business name. We use this to reply and to pass your message to the right person on the committee.

If you apply to join

The application form asks for your name, business name, type of business, business address, phone numbers, email address, website and your agreement to the club rules. Members can raise a concern about any new applicant, so we email members your name, business and type of business, and ask them to reply. Their replies are seen only by the committee.

If you're a member

Your profile in the member directory (business details, contact details, logo, photos and a short description) is published on the website with your agreement. You can change it, or ask us to take it down, at any time.

To run the club we also keep, in the members' area of this website:

the email address you sign in with (it isn't shown on the website)
which Fridays you attended, apologies and any time away you've told us about
your usual breakfast choice, and whether you have any food allergies, so the venue can prepare the right order safely (allergies come off your member record when you leave; the allergy record under How long we keep it is kept separately)
membership payments, how you pay, and the name and address you'd like on your receipts
bookings for social events, including your food choice, any plus one, any requests you give us and whether you've paid
things said at meetings that go into the minutes, such as thank-yous and, if included, answers to the weekly 60-second question

You can see your own attendance, payments and bookings when you sign in. Only the committee sees other members' attendance and payments.

When you use the website

If you choose Accept in the cookie banner, Google Analytics tells us how many people visit, which pages they look at and how they found us. It doesn't tell us who you are. Our hosting and security services also keep short technical logs (such as IP addresses) to keep the site running and block attacks. The cookie policy has the details.

3 Our lawful basis

UK data protection law asks us to say why we're allowed to use your information. For us it's one of these:

Legitimate interests: Answering enquiries, arranging visits you've asked for, considering applications, and running the club day to day: meetings, attendance, the breakfast order, events and minutes.
Contract: Your membership of the club under the club rules, including your directory profile and membership payments.
Consent: Analytics cookies, and any allergies, dietary or access needs you tell us for a visit, meal or event. You can withdraw consent at any time. We keep the record of what you told us about food allergies so we can show what we were told if there's ever a question about it, which the law allows for establishing or defending legal claims.
Legal obligation: Keeping the club's financial records for as long as the law requires.

5 Outside the UK

Some of these services, such as Google and Cloudflare, are based in, or use servers in, the United States and other countries. Where information leaves the UK, it's protected by the UK's adequacy arrangements (including the UK-US data bridge) or by the standard contract terms approved by the Information Commissioner.

6 How long we keep it

Visit bookings and messages: 18 months after we last hear from you, unless you join. After that we remove your name, contact details and messages, and keep only anonymous totals (such as how people heard about us). If you're on our waiting list, we keep your details for as long as you want to stay on it, and check with you once a year.
Food allergy record: What you told us about food allergies (including that you have none), when, and when we passed it to the venue: three years after the Friday it was for, so we can show what we were told if there's ever a question about it. Then it's deleted automatically. Day to day, a visitor's allergy comes off our lists once their visit has happened, and a member's when they leave.
Applications: If you join, it becomes part of your membership record. If not, 12 months. Members' replies about an application are deleted 12 months after it's decided.
Directory profile: While you're a member. It comes off the website when you leave, and we keep it for two years in case you rejoin, then delete it along with your photos and contact details.
Attendance and apologies: Two membership years (AGM to AGM).
Payments and receipts: Six years after the end of the club's financial year, so the accounts can be checked.
Social event bookings: 12 months after the event. Dietary or access needs are removed once the event has happened.
Minutes: Weekly meeting minutes, and the thank-yous and 60-second answers in them, for two years. AGM minutes for ten years. Minutes are emailed to members, so copies may stay in people's own inboxes, which we can't control.
Member hub activity log: A record of what's been done in the member hub (for example payments ticked, profiles changed, minutes sent), with the IP address used, so the committee can check changes and spot misuse. Sign-in records are deleted after 30 days, everything else after 12 months.
Google Analytics: 14 months, then Google deletes it automatically.

When a member leaves, we archive their record. After two years we remove everything except their name and what's listed above, such as payments for the accounts.

7 Cookies and analytics

We use a few essential cookies to make the site work and to remember your cookie choice. We'd also like to use Google Analytics to see how the site is used, but only if you choose Accept. If you choose Reject, no analytics cookies are stored.

You can change your mind at any time with the Cookie settings link at the bottom of every page. Our cookie policy lists every cookie we use and how long it lasts.

8 Keeping it safe

The website is served over a secure connection. Members sign in with a one-time link sent to their email, so there are no passwords to steal, and the few accounts that can manage the site need a second code at every login. Files such as minutes are kept in a private area that only signed-in members can reach.

9 Your rights

Under UK data protection law you can ask us to:

tell you what information we hold about you and give you a copy
correct anything that's wrong
delete your information
stop or limit how we use it, or object to us using it
give you your information in a format you can take elsewhere

Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time. There's no charge, and we'll reply within one month.

10 Contact and complaints

For anything to do with your information, email committee@exeterbusinessclub.co.uk. If you're unhappy with how we've handled it, please tell us first so we can put it right. We'll acknowledge your complaint within 30 days.

If you're still not happy, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.

We'll update this page if anything changes, and the date at the top will show when.

See also our cookie policy and website terms of use.

Privacy policy