Essex Roads Cycling Club – Website Visitor Privacy Policy
Last updated: February 2026
1. Who We Are
Essex Roads Cycling Club
Website: https://essexroads.com
For privacy questions: privacy@essexroads.com
2. What This Policy Covers
This policy explains how we handle personal data about people who:
• Visit our website
• Use contact forms
• Leave comments
• Upload media
• View embedded content
It does not cover club membership data
3. Information We Collect
3.1 Comments
When visitors leave comments, we collect:
• Data entered in the comment form
• IP address and browser user‑agent (for spam detection)
• An anonymised email hash used by Gravatar (if applicable)
If approved, your comment and profile image are displayed publicly.
3.2 Media Uploads
If you upload images, avoid including location data (EXIF GPS) as visitors could extract it.
3.3 Contact Forms
If you contact us, we process the information you provide solely to respond to your enquiry.
3.4 Cookies
Our website uses cookies to support functionality, security and performance.
Essential cookies are required for the site to operate.
Your cookie preferences are managed through the CookieYes consent module used on this website.
When you first visit the site, CookieYes will present a cookie banner allowing you to:
• Accept all cookies
• Reject non‑essential cookies
• View detailed cookie information
• Adjust your preferences at any time
You can update or withdraw your consent later by selecting the CookieYes settings icon or banner that appears on the site.
You may also manage cookies through your browser settings.
3.5 Embedded Content
Pages may include embedded videos, images or social media feeds.
These behave exactly as if you visited the external website, which may collect data about you.
3.6 Website Logs & Security
We collect IP addresses and basic device information for site security and performance.
4. Legal Bases for Processing
We process your data under:
• Legitimate interests – operating, securing and improving the site
• Consent – for optional cookies or specific communications
• Legal obligation – where required for compliance
You may withdraw consent at any time.
5. Sharing Your Data
We may share limited data with:
• Spam‑detection services (e.g., Akismet)
• Website hosting and IT providers
• Gravatar (if you use it)
• Email service providers (when responding to messages)
We do not sell personal information.
6. How Long We Keep Your Data
• Comments – kept indefinitely
• Contact form messages – kept only as long as needed
• User accounts (if enabled) – users may manage their own data
• Server logs – rotated regularly unless required for security
7. Your Rights
You have rights under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, including:
• Access to your data
• Correction of inaccurate data
• Erasure (where legally permitted)
• Restriction of processing
• Objection (e.g., analytics cookies)
• Data portability
• Withdrawal of consent
To exercise these rights, contact us using the details above.
8. International Transfers
Some third‑party services we use may store data outside the UK.
We ensure appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses.
9. Children’s Information
Our website is not aimed at children, but any child’s interaction is protected by the same safeguards. We encourage parental oversight.
10. Automated Decision‑Making
We do not conduct automated decision‑making that produces significant effects.
Spam detection may be automated but does not fall into this category.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this notice periodically. The latest version will always be available on this page.
12. Contact Us
For any privacy‑related enquiries or rights requests:
Email: privacy@essexroads.com
ICO information: https://ico.org.uk