The Russell Society

Topographical mineralogy, the conservation of minerals and the preservation of mineralogical sites

The Russell Society Privacy Notice

Background

The aims of The Russell Society are to study, understand, record and conserve minerals, mineralogical sites and information relating to them for the benefit of individuals and society. The Russell Society works closely with museums, conservation bodies, regulatory authorities, and other organisations in the pursuit of these aims.

The Society is a charity governed by charity laws, regulations, and principles. It consists of individuals who pay an annual fee to join and to receive the services and products of the society. The Society conducts events and publishes information about its activities, services, and products via its website.

Introduction

This Privacy Notice is provided to enable the Society to comply with the UK GDPR requirements, specifically, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA). This Notice advises you as to:

What information we collect, use, and why

We collect or use the following information to provide services, and goods including delivery and third-party referrals:

  • Names 
  • Gender (in so far as implied by pronoun preferences)
  • Pronoun preferences e.g., Mr., Mrs.
  • Contact details, including email addresses and telephone numbers.
  • Postal addresses
  • Date of birth, but only if under 18 years of age
  • Photographs or video recordings (from field trips, online talks & meetings, publications)
  • Records of meetings and decisions

We collect or use the following information to receive donations or funding and organise fundraising activities:

  • Names 
  • Gender (as implied by pronoun preferences)
  • Pronoun preferences e.g., Mr., Mrs.
  • Contact details, including email addresses and telephone numbers.
  • Postal addresses
  • Payment/bank details to identify your payments, bank transfers, direct debits, or credit card payments. Details are received from your bank by our bank and are used by us to reconcile payments received to payments due as part of membership or purchase of our goods. They are not retained once used.
  • Taxpayer information relating to Gift Aid purposes.
  • Gifts in wills

We collect or use the following personal information for service updates or marketing purposes:

  • Names 
  • Pronoun preferences e.g., Mr., Mrs.
  • Contact details, including email addresses and telephone numbers.
  • Postal addresses
  • Records of consent, where appropriate

We collect or use the following personal information for inter- member communication.

  • Names 
  • Pronoun preferences e.g., Mr., Mrs.
  • Contact details, including email addresses and telephone numbers.
  • The County part of your postal address
  • Record of your consent if given, for your details to be made available to other Society Members for inter-member communication.

Lawful bases and data protection rights

Under UK data protection law, specifically, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA)., the Society must have a “lawful basis” for collecting and using your personal information. There is a list of possible lawful bases in the UK GDPR. You can find out more about lawful bases on the ICO’s website.

Which lawful basis we rely on may affect your data protection rights which are set out in brief below. You can find out more about your data protection rights and the exemptions which may apply on the ICO’s website:

If you make a subject access request about what information we hold about you or its use, we must respond to you without undue delay and at any event within one month.

To make a data protection rights request, please contact us using the contact details towards the end of this privacy notice.

Our lawful bases for the collection and use of your data

  1. To provide services and goods, including delivery and third-party referrals are:
  2. Consent – we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
  3. Contract – we must collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.
  • To receive donations or funding and organise fundraising activities are:
  • Consent – we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
  • Contract – we must collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information.

  • For service updates or marketing purposes (e.g., to inform you of meetings/talks or to advise you of new Russell Society related matters of interest) are:
  • Consent – we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
  • For inter- member communication
  • Consent – we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

 

Where we get personal information from

  • Directly from you
  • Your bank via bank payments, where details are provided to identify what the transfer is for, for whom and for how much.

How long do we keep information?

We will keep your membership information for: –

  • Your term as a paid-up member of the Society
  • For up to 1 year after you leave the Society
  • For 7 years, as per Indemnity forms for your attendance information at a Russell Society field trip
  • 10 years for Gift Aid and legally required accounting purposes
  • Indefinitely for records of meetings, or entries in Society products such as Newsletter, Journal or Zoom winter program recordings.
  • As may be required by Legal Authorities or by law or to protect the safety of our members.
  • GDPR only protects the personal data of living, identifiable individuals, and does not apply to deceased persons. However, while GDPR does not apply, a common law duty of confidentiality often survives death and will be applied, as per any person ceasing to be a member of the society.

Who we share information with

  • Publicly on our website for the name and contact details of our Society Officers
  • Publicly on our website for the name and contact details of organisers of specific events
  • All members for the contact details of consenting members to enable inter- member communication. This is limited to name, pronoun, phone number, email address, and geographical county. This information is for members only and not for personal or business marketing purposes.
  • Name and address and contact details with parties delivering services for the Society, e.g., taking orders for and/or delivering books sponsored by the Society.

Data Security

We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being lost, used, or accessed in an unauthorised way. We limit access to the full scope of your personal data to those volunteers or Society officers who have a genuine “need to know” as part of their duties to help run the society.

We will, with the appropriate consent, seek to make available to all consenting members a copy of each member’s name and contact details to enable communication between members.

Your legal rights

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

  • Access a copy of the data we hold about you.
  • Rectify any incorrect or incomplete information.
  • Erase your data in certain circumstances, except where we are legally required to retain it (e.g., Gift Aid or Field Trip Indemnity forms), or where it relates to published material (e.g., information published in the Newsletter)
  • Object to or restrict our processing of your data.
  • Withdraw consent at any time where we are relying on consent to process your data.

How to contact us.

  • Post: – General Secretary, The Russell Society, 60 Laverton Road, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire, FY8 1EN, UK
  • Email: –  info@russellsoc.org

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal data, you can make a complaint to us using the contact details given in this privacy notice.

If you remain unhappy with how we have used your data after raising a complaint with us, you can also complain to the ICO at; –           

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

Website: https://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint

Last updated – 28/6/2026