Privacy policy

Privacy Policy


Effective date: June 2026

 

1. Introduction

Gowaan Bike Club C.I.C (“us”, “we”, “our”, "Gowaan" or “the Company”) is the data controller for personal data collected through www.gowaan.co.uk and through our Kids club, coaching, events and related activities. 

Data Controller contact address: Gowaan HQ, 2 High Street, Innerleithen, EH44 6HA

Data Controller contact email: Gowaan.gals@gmail.com. Please mark 'FAO Data Controller'. 

ICO Registration Reference: Pending

This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when you use our Service and the choices you have associated with that data. Our Privacy Policy for Gowaan Bike Club C.I.C is managed through Free Privacy Policy Website.

We use your data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. Unless otherwise defined in this Privacy Policy, terms used in this Privacy Policy have the same meanings as in our Terms and Conditions, accessible from www.gowaan.co.uk

2. Information We Collect

We collect different types of information depending on how you interact with us: 

  • Website and newsletter: name, email address, and usage data when you browse the site or subscribe to our newsletter (managed via MailChimp). 
  • Bookings, coaching and Kids Club: participant name, date of birth, gender, contact details, parent/guardian details, emergency contact information, and relevant medical or health information needed to run the session safely. This information is collected directly from you through online forms or paper registration forms and is used solely for the purpose of organising and safely delivering the session. It is not shared with third parties, except where required to ensure your safety (for example, sharing relevant medical details with a coach or first aider during an event).
  • Usage data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, time spent, and device identifiers, collected automatically when you use the website. 

We will save your contact details, but will not share or sell any information with Third Party companies. Your data is safe with us, but of course, you are free to unsubscribe at any time.

3. Children's Data

Our Kids Club and youth coaching activities are aimed at children, and we directly collect personal data about children as part of delivering these activities safely, including health and emergency contact information. 

  • Data about a child will only be collected and processed where a parent or legal guardian has provided consent, normally through our booking/registration form.
  • We process special category data (such as medical information) only where necessary for the child's safety during an activity, and with explicit parental consent, in accordance with UK GDPR Article 9.
  • We design our forms and communications about children's data to be clear and proportionate, in line with the ICO's Children's Code (Age Appropriate Design Code) where our online services are likely to be accessed by children.
  • Parents/guardians may contact us at any time to review, amend, or request deletion of their child's data, subject to our safeguarding and legal retention obligations (see Section 8).

This policy should be read alongside our Safeguarding Children Policy, available at www.gowaan.co.uk.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Article 6 bases (UK GDPR Article 6(1)):

 

  • Consent (Article 6(1)(a)) — for newsletter sign-up, marketing, and photography/video of children.
  • Contract (Article 6(1)(b)) — for processing necessary to deliver a booked session, course, or event.
  • Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) — for website analytics and improving our service, balanced against your rights.
  • Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c)) — where we must disclose information to comply with the law.
  • Vital interests / substantial public interest (Articles 6(1)(d), 9(2)(c) and 9(2)(g), read with the Data Protection Act 2018, Schedule 1, paragraph 18 — safeguarding of children and individuals at risk) — for safeguarding referrals or emergency medical situations.

 

5. Tracking and Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate and improve our services: 

  • Session Cookies — to operate our Service.
  • Preference Cookies — to remember your settings.
  • Security Cookies — for security purposes.

Cookies are files with a small amount of data which may include an anonymous unique identifier. Cookies are sent to your browser from a website and stored on your device. Tracking technologies also used are beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyse our Service.

You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Service.

Where cookies are not strictly necessary to deliver the site, we will ask for your consent via a cookie banner before they are set, and you can change your preferences at any time.

6. How We Use Data

Gowaan Bike Club C.I.C uses the collected data for various purposes:

  • To provide and maintain the Service and deliver booked sessions/events safely
  • To notify you about changes to our Service, or to a session/event
  • To allow you to participate in interactive features of our Service when you choose to do so
  • To provide customer care and support
  • To provide analysis or valuable information so that we can improve the Service
  • To monitor the usage of the Service
  • To detect, prevent and address technical or safety issues

Coaches and volunteers, including those engaged on a casual or freelance basis, may access personal data (such as a child's emergency contact and medical information) where necessary to deliver a session or event safely. All such individuals are subject to PVG checks in line with our Safeguarding Policy and are bound by confidentiality obligations under our Code of Conduct.

7. Disclosure of Data

Gowaan Bike Club C.I.C may disclose your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary:

  • To comply with a legal obligation.
  • To protect the rights or property of Gowaan Bike Club C.I.C.
  • To prevent or investigate wrongdoing.
  • To protect the personal safety of any individual or the public, including safeguarding referrals to Police Scotland or local authority child protection services.
  • To relevant coaches or first aiders during a session, where necessary for a participant's safety.

8. Data Retention

We will not keep personal data for longer than is necessary for the purposes set out in this policy, or as required by law. 

9. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you (or, for a child, their parent or guardian) have the right to: 

  • Access the personal data we hold about you.
  • Request correction of inaccurate data.
  • Request erasure of data, subject to our legal/safeguarding retention obligations.
  • Restrict or object to certain processing.
  • Request a copy of your data in a portable format.
  • Withdraw consent at any time, where consent is the lawful basis.
  • Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

10. Transfer Of Data

Your information, including Personal Data, may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ from those from your jurisdiction.

If you are located outside the United Kingdom and choose to provide information to us, please note that we transfer the data, including Personal Data, to the United Kingdom and process it there.

Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by your submission of such information represents your agreement to that transfer.

Gowaan Bike Club C.I.C will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of your Personal Data will take place to an organisation or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of your data and other personal information.

11. Security Of Data

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction or damage — including [e.g. access controls, encryption, staff training, and secure storage of safeguarding records]. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of information transmitted to us.

12. Service Providers

We use third-party providers (such as MailChimp for newsletters and our booking platform) to help delivery the Service. These providers only access personal data to perform their function for us and are contractually obliged not to use it for any other purpose. 

13. Links To Other Sites

Our Service may link to third-party sites not operated by us. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their policies. 

14. Changes To This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be notified by email and/or a prominent notice on our website before they take effect, with the effective date updated above. 

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise a data subject right, please contact: 

Gowaan.gals@gmail.com