Privacy Policy for Ginny Metheral’s Membership Website (WordPress)

Last updated: 20th October 2025

1. Introduction

Welcome to Ginny Metheral’s Membership Website (“we”, “us”, “our”).
We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you visit or register on our WordPress-powered website, available at [insert domain name] (the “Site”).

If you have any questions, please contact us using the details below.

2. Who We Are

Data Controller:
Ginny Metheral
Email: ginnymetherla@gmail.com
Address: Culverwell, Upottery, Devon
Website: www.ginnymetheral.co.uk

3. Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following personal data:

a. Identity and Contact Data

Name, username, or display name
Email address
Billing or postal address
Telephone number (if provided)

b. Membership and Account Data

Account details and preferences
Membership level and subscription information
Login and logout activity
Course progress, comments, or community participation

c. Payment Information

Payments are securely handled through third-party payment gateways Stripe and PayPal.
We do not store or have access to your full card details.
We retain transaction records (not card data) for accounting and legal compliance.

d. Technical and Usage Data

IP address
Browser type and version
Device and operating system information
Referring website and pages visited
Date/time of access

This data is typically collected automatically via WordPress, Google Analytics, or similar plugins to help us improve performance and usability.

e. Communications Data

Messages sent via contact forms, email, or comments
Newsletter sign-ups and marketing preferences

4. Comments

When visitors leave comments on the site, we collect:

The data shown in the comments form
The visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string (to help spam detection)

An anonymised string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it.
After approval, your comment and profile picture are visible to the public.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our WordPress site uses cookies to:

Keep you logged into your account or membership
Remember your preferences and settings
Analyse website traffic and performance
Enable affiliate tracking or analytics

Essential cookies

These are required for core site functionality and membership access.

Analytics cookies

Used to understand how visitors use the site. (e.g., Google Analytics, Jetpack)

Marketing cookies

Used only with your consent for remarketing or email campaigns.

You can manage or delete cookies through your browser settings.

6. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data to:

Create and manage your membership account
Process payments and renewals
Deliver access to courses, downloads, and community areas
Communicate with you about updates, services, and support
Improve the performance and security of our site
Send marketing communications (only with your consent)
Comply with legal and accounting obligations

7. Legal Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we rely on the following legal bases:

Contract: To provide you with membership services you signed up for
Consent: For optional marketing and newsletter emails
Legal obligation: To meet accounting or reporting duties
Legitimate interest: To analyse usage and improve our website and offerings

8. Sharing Your Data

We may share your information with trusted third parties, including:

Hosting provider: e.g., SiteGround, Bluehost, or WordPress.com
Payment processors: Stripe, PayPal
Email marketing services: Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or similar
Analytics services: Google Analytics, Jetpack
Security and backup services: Wordfence, UpdraftPlus

All third parties are required to handle your data securely and in accordance with UK data protection law.

We never sell or rent your personal data.

9. Embedded Content from Other Websites

Articles or course pages may include embedded content (e.g., YouTube videos, images, or links).
Embedded content from other websites behaves exactly as if the visitor has visited the other website.
These sites may collect data, use cookies, or track your interaction independently.

10. Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for its intended purpose:

Membership data: As long as your account remains active
Transaction data: Up to 6 years for legal and accounting compliance
Comments and posts: Indefinitely (unless you request deletion)
Inactive accounts: May be deleted after 24 months of inactivity

You can request deletion of your data at any time (see section 11).

11. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate data
Request erasure of your data (“right to be forgotten”)
Restrict or object to data processing
Request data portability (to transfer to another provider)
Withdraw consent at any time (for marketing communications)

To exercise any of these rights, email [insert contact email].
We may require proof of identity to process your request.

12. Data Security

We take appropriate measures to protect your data, including:

SSL encryption (HTTPS)
Secure, password-protected admin access
Regular plugin and theme updates
Encrypted backups and malware scanning

We also recommend that users choose strong passwords and keep login details confidential.

13. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under 16 years old.
We do not knowingly collect data from children.
If we discover we have collected such data, it will be deleted promptly.

14. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers may transfer data outside the UK (e.g., to the USA).
In such cases, we ensure your data is protected through Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or equivalent safeguards.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in technology, regulation, or services.
Any updates will be posted on this page with a new “Last updated” date.
We recommend reviewing this policy regularly.

16. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact:

Ginny Metheral
Email: Ginnymetheral@gmail.com

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
https://ico.org.uk/