Privacy Policy

Last updated: 28 October 2026

The Cotswolds Art Class respects your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use and look after personal information when you visit our website, contact us or enquire about our classes and private painting parties.

Who is responsible for your information?

Claire Hamilton, trading as The Cotswolds Art Class, is responsible for deciding how your personal information is used. This makes Claire the “data controller”.

You can contact Claire about this policy or your personal information:

Email: thecotswoldsartclass@gmail.com
Telephone: 07310 279237

Information we collect

When you contact us through the website, by email, telephone, text or WhatsApp, we may collect:

  • Your name.

  • Your email address.

  • Your telephone number, if you provide it.

  • Your preferred class location and information about your enquiry.

  • Details needed to arrange a class or private party.

  • Records of our correspondence.

Please only include information relevant to your enquiry. You do not need to provide sensitive personal information through the contact form.

If you are enquiring on behalf of a child, please provide your own contact details and only the information about the child needed to deal with the enquiry.

Our website provider, Squarespace, also processes technical information associated with website visits. This may include your IP address, browser and device information, pages visited and referring websites. Our Cookie Policy explains how cookies are used.

How we use your information

We use your information to:

  • Answer questions and respond to enquiries.

  • Discuss suitable classes, venues or private parties.

  • Make arrangements you have requested.

  • Communicate practical information about an agreed class or event.

  • Maintain appropriate business records.

  • Keep the website secure and understand how it is used.

You are not legally required to submit an enquiry. However, we need sufficient contact information to reply or make arrangements with you.

Our lawful bases

UK data protection law requires us to have a lawful basis for using personal information.

Contract: We use information where necessary to provide a service you have agreed to, or to take steps you have requested before making an agreement, such as discussing a private party.

Legitimate interests: We use information where necessary to respond to general questions, administer our business, protect the website and deal with concerns. We balance these interests against your privacy and rights.

Legal obligation: We retain or disclose information where necessary to meet applicable legal requirements.

Consent: Where we ask for consent, such as for optional analytics cookies or publishing an identifiable photograph or testimonial, you can withdraw that consent by contacting us. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of use before consent was withdrawn.

Class updates and WhatsApp

Making an enquiry does not automatically add you to a marketing list or WhatsApp group.

If you choose to receive optional class updates, you can ask us to stop at any time.

If you choose to join a WhatsApp group, other members may be able to see your telephone number, profile information and messages. WhatsApp also processes information under its own privacy terms.

Who may receive your information?

We do not sell your personal information.

Where necessary, information may be processed by:

  • Squarespace, which provides our website and associated form services.

  • Our email, communications and IT service providers.

  • Smallsky Creative, when providing authorised website support.

  • Professional advisers or public authorities where this is necessary or legally required.

We limit access to what is needed for the relevant task.

If you follow a link to Google Maps, what3words or another external service, that organisation’s own privacy policy applies when you use its service.

International processing

Some providers process information outside the UK, including in the United States.

Squarespace describes its international transfer arrangements in its Privacy Policy and Data Processing Addendum. These include the UK Extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework and approved contractual safeguards where applicable.

Where a restricted international transfer is made on our behalf, appropriate UK data protection safeguards must apply. You can contact us for information about the safeguards relevant to your data.

How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as needed for its purpose.

  • Enquiries that do not lead to a class or event: We retain correspondence while dealing with the enquiry and any reasonably expected follow-up, then delete it when it is no longer needed.

  • Class and private-party arrangements: We retain necessary records while providing the service and for any subsequent accounting, legal or complaint-handling requirements.

  • Permission records: Where we rely on consent, we retain sufficient information to record your choices and respect any withdrawal.

We review information periodically and securely delete or anonymise it when it is no longer required.

Keeping information secure

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information, including limiting access to authorised people and using the security facilities provided by our service providers.

Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

  • Ask for a copy of your personal information.

  • Have inaccurate or incomplete information corrected.

  • Ask for information to be deleted.

  • Ask us to restrict how information is used.

  • Receive certain information in a portable format.

  • Withdraw consent where we rely on it.

You also have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests. You can object to direct marketing at any time.

These rights are subject to applicable conditions and exemptions. Contact Claire using the details above to make a request. We normally respond within one calendar month. If a lawful extension is needed, we will explain why.

Questions and complaints

Please contact Claire if you have concerns about how your information has been handled.

We will acknowledge a data protection complaint within 30 days, investigate it, keep you informed and provide an outcome without unnecessary delay.

You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK’s data protection regulator:

Website: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when our services or data-handling arrangements change. The latest version will appear here with an updated date.