Data Protection

Protecting Your Personal Information

ConserveConnect is committed to handling personal information responsibly, transparently and securely. This page explains how personal information may be used across the ConserveConnect network and should be read alongside our Privacy Policy.

We process personal information in accordance with applicable United Kingdom data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act 2018 and relevant amendments introduced by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

This applies to information used in connection with accounts, professional profiles, directory searches, service requests, reviews, project and grant support, campaigns, enquiries, communications and other services provided through ConserveConnect.

We do not rely on consent for every use of personal information. Different activities may rely on different lawful bases, depending on why the information is needed and how it is used.

1. Who Is Responsible for Your Information?

ConserveConnect Ltd is responsible for determining how personal information submitted through the ConserveConnect platform is used where it acts as the data controller.

Questions about personal information or data protection can be sent to:
team@conserveconnect.com
ConserveConnect Ltd | London | United Kingdom


2. Information We May Collect

The personal information we process depends on how you use ConserveConnect. It may include:

  • Your name and contact details
  • Account and login information
  • Organisation, professional or business information
  • Professional profile and directory listing information
  • Qualifications, memberships, credentials and portfolio information supplied for profile review or vetting
  • Service request and project information
  • Reviews and information supplied in connection with review verification
  • Grant, funding and project-support enquiries
  • Campaign or organisation information
  • Photographs, reports, plans, surveys and other documents you choose to provide
  • Correspondence and communications with ConserveConnect
  • Payment and transaction information where a paid service is used
  • Technical, security and usage information associated with use of the platform

Please avoid submitting personal, confidential or sensitive information that is not reasonably necessary for the service you are using.


3. Why We Use Personal Information

Personal information may be used where necessary to provide, administer and develop the ConserveConnect network and its services. This may include:

  • Creating and administering user accounts
  • Creating, reviewing and displaying professional profiles and listings
  • Operating directory search and discovery functions
  • Administering ConserveConnect vetting and recognition processes
  • Receiving, reviewing and matching service requests with potentially relevant specialists
  • Administering reviews and review verification
  • Responding to enquiries and providing member or user support
  • Assessing grant support, conservation and project-development enquiries
  • Supporting project coordination where this has been requested
  • Processing payments and administering paid membership features
  • Maintaining the security, integrity and proper operation of the platform
  • Preventing misuse, fraud, fake reviews and other prohibited activity
  • Meeting legal, regulatory, accounting and administrative requirements
  • Improving ConserveConnect services and understanding how the platform is used

4. Our Lawful Bases for Processing

Data protection law requires ConserveConnect to have an appropriate lawful basis for each purpose for which personal information is processed. Depending on the activity, we may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

Where processing is necessary to provide a service you have requested, administer membership, manage an account or take steps at your request before entering into an agreement.

Legitimate Interests

Where processing is reasonably necessary to operate, improve and protect the ConserveConnect platform, administer the professional network, provide relevant matching and discovery functions, prevent misuse, maintain records or pursue other legitimate operational purposes, provided those interests are not overridden by the rights and interests of the individual concerned.

Legal Obligation

Where processing is necessary for ConserveConnect to comply with an applicable legal or regulatory obligation.

Consent

Where we specifically ask for your consent for a particular activity. Where consent is the lawful basis, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting processing lawfully carried out before withdrawal.

Creating an account or submitting information does not amount to blanket consent for every possible use of your personal information.

5. Public Profiles & Directory Information

ConserveConnect includes a searchable directory within the wider professional network. Information intentionally supplied for a public professional profile or public listing may therefore be visible to other users and search engines.

Public information may include business or organisation names, professional contact details, areas of expertise, service descriptions, photographs, portfolio material, geographical coverage, reviews and ConserveConnect recognition badges where applicable.

Users creating public profiles are responsible for ensuring that information they choose to publish is suitable for public display and that they are entitled to provide information relating to other individuals where applicable.


6. Service Requests & Project Matching

Information submitted through a service request may be used to administer the request and identify professionals, craftspeople, consultants, suppliers or organisations whose listed expertise appears relevant to the project.

Relevant project information may be made available to suitable members of the network so that they can understand and respond to the request. Users should therefore avoid including personal or confidential information that is not necessary for this purpose.

Further information about the operation of this facility is provided in the Service Request Agreement.


7. Grant Support & Project Information

Users seeking grant, conservation or project-development support may provide additional information about a building or proposed project. This may include photographs, surveys, reports, budgets, planning material, funding information and other supporting documents.

This information may be used for purposes including:

  • Initial project assessment
  • Funding-readiness review
  • Grant and funding support
  • Identification of relevant professional expertise
  • Specialist coordination
  • Project-development and related conservation-support activities

Some project information may be intended for public display where a user chooses to create or publish a public project profile. Other supporting documents may remain private and be used only for project administration, assessment or specialist coordination.

Confidential or restricted project material will not normally be made publicly visible unless this is necessary for the requested service and an appropriate basis exists for doing so.


8. Sharing Information with Others

ConserveConnect may share personal information where reasonably necessary with appropriate recipients, including:

  • Professionals, consultants, craftspeople or suppliers relevant to a service request or project
  • Technology, hosting and platform service providers
  • Email, communication and newsletter service providers
  • Payment and transaction service providers where applicable
  • Professional advisers where reasonably necessary
  • Public authorities, regulators or other parties where disclosure is required or permitted by law
  • Other service providers required to operate and secure the ConserveConnect platform

We seek to limit information shared with third parties to what is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.


9. Third-Party Professionals & Organisations

Where ConserveConnect introduces you to an independent professional, contractor, consultant, supplier or organisation, that third party may become independently responsible for personal information you subsequently provide directly to them.

Independent third parties may have their own privacy information and data-protection responsibilities. ConserveConnect does not control how an independent organisation processes information obtained directly from you outside the ConserveConnect platform.


10. International Data Transfers

Some technology or service providers used in operating ConserveConnect may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where UK data protection rules governing international transfers apply, ConserveConnect will take appropriate steps to ensure that the transfer has a lawful basis and that appropriate safeguards or recognised transfer arrangements are used where required.


11. Marketing & Network Communications

Operational messages needed to administer an account, membership, service request, project or other requested service are different from promotional marketing communications.

Where ConserveConnect sends marketing or promotional electronic communications, we will do so in accordance with applicable data protection and electronic marketing requirements. Where consent is required, it will be requested separately.

You may opt out of direct marketing communications at any time using the unsubscribe facility provided or by contacting ConserveConnect. Opting out of marketing will not prevent us from sending necessary administrative or service-related communications.


12. How Long We Keep Information

ConserveConnect keeps personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, taking account of operational, contractual, legal, regulatory, security and record-keeping requirements.

Retention periods or the criteria used to determine them may vary according to the type of information. For example:

  • Account and profile information may be retained while the account or listing remains active and for an appropriate period afterwards
  • Service request and project information may be retained while a request or project remains active and for a reasonable administrative period afterwards
  • Payment and financial records may be retained for periods required by applicable accounting, tax or legal requirements
  • Review and moderation records may be retained where reasonably necessary to maintain the integrity of the review system and address disputes or misuse
  • Support, complaint and compliance records may be retained for an appropriate period having regard to the nature of the matter
  • Where someone opts out of marketing, limited information may be retained where necessary to record and respect that preference

Information may be securely deleted, anonymised or retained for longer where there is a lawful and proportionate reason to do so.


13. Security

ConserveConnect takes reasonable technical and organisational measures intended to protect personal information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration or inappropriate disclosure.

No online service can eliminate every security risk. Users should take reasonable care when choosing passwords, managing account access and deciding what information to submit through the platform.


14. Automated Processing & Matching

ConserveConnect may use search rules, categories, location information or other automated processes to help identify potentially relevant listings, professionals, services or project opportunities.

These discovery and matching functions are intended to assist users. They do not by themselves make decisions having legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.


15. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis relied upon, you may have rights in relation to your personal information, including:

  • The right to be informed about how your information is used
  • The right to request access to your personal information
  • The right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
  • The right to request erasure in applicable circumstances
  • The right to request restriction of processing in applicable circumstances
  • The right to object to certain processing
  • The right to data portability where applicable
  • Rights relating to certain automated decision-making where applicable
  • The right to withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis for processing

These rights are not all absolute and their application depends on the circumstances and the legal basis for the processing concerned.


16. Data Protection Complaints

If you are concerned about how ConserveConnect has collected, used, shared, retained or otherwise handled your personal information, you may make a data protection complaint directly to us.

Please send complaints to:
team@conserveconnect.com

ConserveConnect will acknowledge receipt of a data protection complaint within 30 days and will take appropriate steps to investigate and respond without undue delay. We will keep you appropriately informed and communicate the outcome of our consideration.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you are dissatisfied with the way your personal information has been handled or with our response to a data protection complaint.


17. Changes to This Information

ConserveConnect may update this page from time to time to reflect changes in the platform, our services, data-processing practices or applicable requirements.

The current version will be published on ConserveConnect. Where a change materially affects how personal information is used, we will take appropriate steps to provide additional notice where required.


18. Contact Us

For questions about personal information, exercising your data protection rights or making a data protection complaint, please contact:

team@conserveconnect.com
ConserveConnect Ltd | London | United Kingdom

Our approach is simple: collect what is reasonably needed, explain why it is needed, protect it appropriately and give people meaningful control over their personal information.

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