PRIVACY AND TERMS & CONDITIONS

The Climbers' Club Limited

Company No. 15315846, VAT No. 461728481

Updated 21 May 2025

The Climbers’ Club Limited (Club) is the controller of Personal Data collected from its members, applicants for membership, guests using our huts and other members of the public using our website and related tools. At all times the Club will manage this data in compliance with the requirements of UK Data Protection Legislation including the UK version of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This privacy notice sets out what information Club collects, the reasons for this and how it is used.

If you have any questions about the use of your personal data, would like to update your details or otherwise object to the use of your personal data in a particular way please contact the Secretary (General Enquiry) via the Contact Us webform.

Website Terms and Condition of Use

All material contained on this site is copyright and should not be reproduced.

Readers are encouraged to use it for their own research, under the ‘fair use’ provisions of international copyright legislation, but may not publish or redistribute it, either in print or digitally without the permission of the club and proper acknowledgement.

General Privacy Policy

Information about website users is stored solely for facilitating communications and for running the Club.

For members of the public, no information is stored other than that when submitting forms or when communicating directly with the Club.

The Club does not share your personal information with any organisation or third parties other than those listed below.

Emails

• Enquiries submitted through the contact forms on the website are converted to emails to the relevant club officer.
• Automated emails originating from the webserver may be sent through other service providers such a Twilio SendGrid, Intuit Mailchimp or MailChannels.
• General email communication with the Club uses Zoho Mail and ZeptoMail (a Zoho product). Zoho stores emails. Club officers may store them locally too.

Payments

• Stripe processes card payments on behalf of the Club. The card details you submit are captured directly by Stripe. The Club does not see or retain these details. Your name, email and postal address may be shared with Stripe.
• GoCardless processes direct debits and single payments on behalf of the Club. GoCardless collects and stores your name, membership number (if applicable), email address and address and Club officials have access to this data. GoCardless also collects and stores bank details and direct debit mandates but the Club does not have access to this data. If you provide your bank details to the Club for the purpose of updating GoCardless, the Club official will update your bank details on GoCardless but not keep the data.

Guidebook Shop

• When you make a purchase, the details you submit (other than payment details) are stored by the Club to enable it to fulfil the order, support follow up actions in the case of an issue, and to enable the club to analyse its sales.
• Orders are fulfilled by the Club’s guidebook distributor Cordee. The Club shares appropriate data with Cordee to enable them to organise delivery.
• Payments are collected through Stripe.

Hut & Meet Booking

• When you book or request a booking, the details you submit (other than payment details) are stored by the Club.
• Subsequent email correspondence and any notes relating to the booking are also stored.
• Through the Hamish Nicol Accord members of The Wayfarers’ Club may also have their name and email address maintained as their user profile and login.
• Payments are collected through Stripe or GoCardless.

Database and file storage

• The Club's database, images and documents are on Digital Ocean Inc. in its London or Amsterdam data centres.
• Backup of this are stored in Google Archive storage.
• The Club’s website uses the Strapi Content Management System (CMS).
• Committee and sub-committee papers and documents are stored on Sync.com Inc in their Toronto, ON and Scarborough, ON Canada data centres.

Guidebook and routes information

• The Club’s database, images and documents are on Digital Ocean Inc. in its London or Amsterdam data centres.
• Backups are stored in Google Archive storage.

Cookies

• Cookies are used for the sole purpose to remember a member’s login during use of the website (session cookie) and if 'Keep me logged in on this device' is ticked between visits (persistent cookie).
• This site does not use any marketing cookies.

Information Commissioner’s Office

• The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the independent regulator for data protection in England and Wales. The ICO website contains resources for the public related to their data protection rights, and details of how to contact them (www.ico.org.uk)

Extension for Applicants

The Club stores the information submitted by an applicant using the online form, along with comments from the applicant's chosen Proposer and Seconder.

If the applicant becomes a member, relevant information from the application form is used to create a record in the membership database.

Extension for Members

In addition to the above, the Club has a database which stores details of current and ex-Members.

Members can update their details through the website, or by contacting the membership secretary.

The Club publishes details of its members in the Club Online Directory, which is only visible to Club members when they have logged in to the Club website. By default, the Club publishes the name, email address and telephone number of each member. Members can opt out of publishing each of these by updating their details online or by contacting the membership secretary. Members have the right to see all the data the Club manages with respect to their identity.

On termination of membership, membership details will remain on the Club’s database for eighteen (18) months, to allow time for contacting the ex-member or representatives for any outstanding matters or payments. After that time all contact details will be deleted from the database. The members’ name, years of joining and leaving, reason for leaving and any details of club positions held will remain on the database for statistical purposes, and to maintain the historical record of the Club.

For members living in the UK the Club is required to share certain information with the BMC each year, in order that they can become a Member of the BMC and be covered by its insurance. Members cannot opt of this as it is a condition of BMC affiliation that all UK based members are reported to the BMC.

To facilitate access to Kindred Club huts, we may share members’ names, membership numbers and email addresses with the Kindred Club’s officials. The data is shared under the lawful basis of Legitimate Interest. The Kindred Clubs are The Scottish Mountaineering Club, The Cairngorm Club, Mountaineering Scotland, The Fell & Rock Climbing Club, The Rucksack Club, The Midlands Association Of Mountaineering, Oread Mountaineering Club, The Pinnacle Club Hut, The Wayfarer’s Club and The Yorkshire Ramblers’ Club.

To provide members with a digital membership card, your name, membership number and email address are stored by Pass2U.net operated by MicroMacro Mobile Inc.

Extension for Claiming Expenses

Expense claim forms containing contact details and bank details are retained on Zoho Books as part of our accounting records, and bank details are stored on Unity Trust Bank (UTB) to facilitate reimbursement.