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Our Privacy Policy

Erkina River Choir

Draft Privacy Policy – October 2026

At Erkina River Choir, we are committed to protecting and respecting the privacy of our members. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, process, and protect your personal data and any participant’s personal data when you join our choir. 

We operate as the Data Controller for your information. Our processing complies with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Irish Data Protection Act 2018 [1.1, 1.2].

1. Information We Collect and Why

We collect data to enable us to keep in contact with members and participants between rehearsals, inform them of any updates relating to the choir, record their membership and payments as well as keeping a log of emergency contact names and numbers. Optional medical information, where relevant, is provided voluntarily by members if they wish to inform us of any severe medical allergies or issues in case of an emergency.

    Personal & Special Category Data

    • Personal Details: Member’s name, email, contact number, emergency contact name and number, musical preferences, opt in to whatsapp community, opt in to photos / videos.
    • Purpose: To ensure that we are able to record, facilitate and fulfill the membership by keeping a log of basic contact details – this allows us to record payments, membership and attendance as well as contacting your emergency contact person in the case of an emergency. We also ask for your consent to opt in our out of the whatsapp community and ask for your prefences regarding visibility or participation in videos / photos on social media.
    • Special Category Data: Medical conditions which might require first aid such as severe allergies requiring an epi pen, epilepsy etc. This information is optional and is given voluntarily by any member who feels it is relevant on the booking form. [1.1].
    • Purpose: To ensure that we are aware of any relevant medical needs in the case of an emergency.

    2. Our Lawful Bases for Processing Data

    Under Irish and EU data protection laws, we rely on the following legal grounds to process data:

    • Contractual Necessity: To facilitate, fulfill and record the membership in the case of those who have joined the choir as a member.
    • Vital Interests: To protect physical safety in an emergency (e.g., passing critical medical or allergy info to emergency services or administering first aid in the case of an emergency) [1.1].
    • Legal Obligation: To comply with any relevant tax laws.
    • Explicit Consent: For optional activities such as newsletter updates, emails, social media posts, whatsapp announcements, whatsapp communities and groups, and promotional photography / videos [1.1].

    3. Photography, Videography, and Media Choices

    We sometimes capture photos and videos during our choir sessions, rehearsals and performances. To protect people’s identities, our standard practice at rehearsals is to take photos where faces are not clearly visible (e.g., from behind, unclear faces or focusing on group activities) unless you have opted in to our full consent for photos / videos option. We respect your privacy by offering three granular options at checkout via Erkina River Choir:

    1. Full Consent: You permit photos/videos to be shared AND used on our public social media for promotional awareness.
    2. Blurred faces Only: You permit photos/videos (without faces) or faces must be blurred if on social media.
    3. Total Opt-Out: No photos or videos will be taken of you by our team.

    You can change or withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us through the website or by phone to any of the committee members. We are not responsible for photos or videos taken and / or shared by members of the public at events. If you wish not to be photographed or videoed at events, please inform whoever is filming / photographing the choir. Thank you.

    4. Data Sharing and Third-Party Processors

    We never sell your data. We only share data with trusted service providers who actively comply with GDPR:

    • Payment Processors: Payments are currently conducted via cash or revolut pocket through the treasurer.
    • Committee Members such as Treasurer, Secretary, Chairperson: are given restricted access to membership information which they then ensure is encrypted or password-protected within 6 months. They have access to medical and attendance registers in order to manage and record payments, attendance and emergency contact information needed to help fun the rehearsals and events. Other Volunteers may also be temporarily given a paper copy of names etc. in order to conduct a roll, for example, on behalf of a committee member – which is stored by committee members and is shredded within one year after an event. 
    • By text / Phone: Committee members may contact you directly or via a whatsapp community in order to organise events, discuss membership etc. by text or phonecall. If you wish not to be contacted, please text ‘STOP’ at any time or exit the whatsapp community at any time.

    5. Data Retention: How Long We Keep Records

    We do not store personal data longer than necessary for its operational purpose.

    • Data Storage – Online membership forms are deleted once data is transferred to digital logs of data on excel document – password protected – within 3 months. These excel files are kept for as long as necessary during and after ongoing rehearsals and events. As it is an ongoing event, logs are kept until the person leaves the choir, or the choir disbands. In the case of the choir disbanding, all data is deleted permanently within 3 months.
    • Whatsapp Community – Members who opt in to the whatsapp community and are abiding by the guidelines in our members’ handbook are welcome to remain there until the person opts out by unsubscribing, texting ‘STOP’ to the committee or contacting us to be removed from the community.
    • Leaving the choir – If you inform us that you are leaving the choir itself and no longer want to be a member, we will delete all of your data from our stored logs permanently within 3 months.
    • Medical Logs & Incident Reports: If an incident or injury occurs during a session, the relevant logs, sign-in sheets and incident report are archived and kept securely in accordance with the strict timelines mandated by our public liability insurance policy and statutory limitation periods.

    6. Your Legal Data Rights

    Under the GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your data:

    • Right of Access: You can request a digital copy of all personal data we hold about you.
    • Right to Rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
    • Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): You can request that we delete your data, provided it does not conflict with our legal or insurance retention obligations.
    • Right to Restrict Processing: You can object to or limit how we use your data (e.g., opting out of marketing).

    7. Contact Us & Complaints

    If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact our data compliance lead:

    • Name/Entity: Erkina River Choir
    • Location: Rathdowney, Co. Laois, Ireland
    • Email: (email address tbc)
    • Text: Using the committee phone numbers in your membership whatsapp community.

    If you are unsatisfied with how we handle your data, you have the right to lodge a formal complaint with the Irish supervisory authority: