PRIVACY POLICY

This Privacy Policy describes how www.sheilahope.co.uk (the "Website"), owned and operated by Sheila Hope Studio ("Sheila Hope," "we," "us," or "our"), collects, uses, and protects your personal data. This policy is designed to comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

1. Who We Are Sheila Hope Studio is the data controller for the personal data collected through this Website.

  • Business Address: Dell House, Brickfield Lane, Walhampton, Lymington, SO41 5RD

  • Email: sheilahopestudio@btinternet.com

  • Phone: 07434 921578

2. Information We Collect and Why We collect two main types of data: information you voluntarily provide and information collected automatically.

  • Information You Provide to Us:

    • What we collect: When you click on the email link on our Website to contact us, we collect the personal data you provide in your email, which may include your name, email address, and any other information you choose to include in your message.

    • Why we collect it: This information is collected solely for the purpose of communicating with you and responding to your inquiries about Sheila Hope's artwork.

  • Information Collected Automatically (via Squarespace):

    • What we collect: When you visit our Website, Squarespace, our website hosting provider, automatically collects certain information about your device and your use of the Website. This may include your IP address, browser type, operating system, and a record of the pages you visit.

    • Why we collect it: This data is collected to help us understand how people use our Website, to improve its functionality, and to ensure its security and stability.

3. Legal Basis for Processing We rely on the following legal bases under the GDPR to process your personal data:

  • Consent: When you email us, you consent to our processing of your personal data to respond to your inquiry.

  • Legitimate Interest: We have a legitimate interest in processing your data to operate, maintain, and secure our Website, and to understand how visitors interact with our content.

4. Cookies Our Website uses cookies, which are small text files placed on your device. These cookies are set by our website platform, Squarespace.

  • Essential Cookies: These cookies are necessary for the Website to function properly, such as providing security and enabling core features. They cannot be disabled.

  • Analytics and Performance Cookies: We use these cookies to understand how visitors use our Website, for example, to see which pages are most popular. This information helps us improve the Website's content and design. You have the right to refuse these cookies via the cookie banner that appears on our Website.

By using the Website, you agree to our use of essential cookies. You can manage your preferences for non-essential cookies via the cookie banner. You can also block or delete cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect the Website’s functionality.

5. How We Store and Protect Your Information Your data is stored securely on the servers of our website provider, Squarespace. We rely on Squarespace’s robust security measures to protect your data from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse.

6. Data Retention We retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.

  • Email Communications: We will retain your email correspondence for as long as needed to address your inquiry and for a reasonable period thereafter to maintain a record of our communication.

  • Analytics Data: This data is retained by Squarespace for a period of up to 26 months.

7. Disclosure of Your Information We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal data to third parties. Your information will not be shared with anyone outside of Sheila Hope Studio.

8. International Data Transfers Our website platform, Squarespace, is a US-based company. This means that your personal data may be transferred to and stored in the United States. Squarespace ensures that these transfers comply with GDPR requirements by using legally recognised data transfer mechanisms, such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs).

9. Your GDPR Rights Under the GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • The Right to Access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

  • The Right to Rectification: You can request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete data we hold about you.

  • The Right to Erasure: You can ask us to delete your personal data from our records.

  • The Right to Restrict Processing: You can request that we limit how we use your data.

  • The Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive a copy of your data in a machine-readable format.

  • The Right to Object: You have the right to object to us processing your data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at sheilahopestudio@btinternet.com.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a new "last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

11. Contact Us If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact Sheila Hope at the details provided above.