17.98°C Privacy Policy
Keep Colchester Cool takes the privacy of people who use this website seriously.
This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we use it and how it is handled.
Who is responsible for your information
Keep Colchester Cool is an independent publication run by Ben Howard, trading as Ben Howard Communications.
For the purposes of UK data protection law, Ben Howard is responsible for the personal information collected through this website.
If you have a question about your personal information or how it is used, please contact us at keepcolchestercool@gmail.com.
When you contact us
If you use the contact form, we ask for your name and email address, together with details of your enquiry.
We use this information to deal with your message and reply where necessary. Our reason for using it is our legitimate interest in responding to people who contact Keep Colchester Cool and running the website effectively.
We do not add people who contact us to a marketing mailing list.
Event submissions
If you submit an event for consideration, we ask for your name and email address as well as information about the event. You may also provide an image.
We use your contact details to consider the submission and contact you if we need further information. Our reason for using this information is our legitimate interest in receiving, checking and publishing suitable event information for Keep Colchester Cool.
Your name and email address are not normally published as part of an event listing.
Event details and images supplied for publication may appear on the Keep Colchester Cool website. When submitting an image, you are asked to confirm that you have permission to provide it.
Messages sent through our website forms are delivered to Keep Colchester Cool by email.
We currently use Gmail, provided by Google, for email. This means Google may process information contained in emails as part of providing that service.
Website analytics
We use Independent Analytics to help us understand how people use the website, including which pages are viewed and how visitors arrive at the site.
Independent Analytics does not use cookies and does not send our analytics data to an external analytics provider.
It uses information including a visitor’s IP address and browser information to create a hashed visitor identifier. The IP address itself is not stored by Independent Analytics. Analytics information is stored within our WordPress website.
We use this information because we have a legitimate interest in understanding how the site is used and improving it.
Protecting our forms
Our website forms use Google reCAPTCHA to help prevent spam, automated submissions and abuse.
When reCAPTCHA operates, information about a visitor’s device and use of the website may be processed for security, fraud and abuse-prevention purposes. This may include the use of cookies or similar technologies.
Google processes reCAPTCHA information on our behalf as a service provider.
Cookies and similar technologies
Some parts of the website may use cookies or similar technologies where they are needed to provide a service or protect the website.
Independent Analytics does not use cookies.
Google reCAPTCHA uses technology including the _GRECAPTCHA cookie as part of its security checks.
Under UK rules, some cookies and similar technologies can be used without consent where an exemption applies. Others require consent before they are used.
We keep the technologies used by the website under review and will update our arrangements and this policy if they change.
How long we keep information
Information sent through our contact and event submission forms is kept only for as long as we reasonably need it to deal with the enquiry or submission, or for administrative, legal or security reasons.
Published articles, event listings and other editorial material may remain on the website as part of the Keep Colchester Cool archive.
Analytics information is retained within the website for as long as it remains useful for understanding how the site is used.
Who we share information with
We do not sell personal information.
Information may be handled by companies that provide services needed to run Keep Colchester Cool, including website hosting, email and website security services.
We may also disclose information where we are required to do so by law.
Your rights
UK data protection law gives you rights over your personal information. Depending on the circumstances, these can include asking us to:
- provide a copy of information we hold about you;
- correct inaccurate information;
- delete information;
- restrict how information is used; or
- stop using information where you have a right to object.
Where we rely on legitimate interests, you have the right to object to the use of your personal information. Whether we can continue to use it will depend on the circumstances.
If you would like to exercise any of these rights, or have a question about information we hold about you, please contact us at keepcolchestercool@gmail.com.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office if you are unhappy with the way your personal information has been handled.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy if the way Keep Colchester Cool operates or handles personal information changes.
Last updated: September 2026.
