PRIVACY POLICY 

Gravesham Borough Youth Football Club Last updated: March 2026

1. Who We Are

Gravesham Borough Youth Football Club ("the Club", "we", "us", "our") is a community grassroots football club based at Cedar Avenue, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 5JS.
This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you visit our website at www.graveshamboroughfc.com or engage with us as a member, player, parent/guardian, volunteer, or supporter.

We are committed to protecting your personal data and complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. The Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

• Contact and identity information — such as your name, email address, and phone number, when you submit our contact form or enquire about the Club.

• Children's information — where a child registers to play for the Club, we collect their name, date of birth, and relevant medical or welfare information provided by a parent or guardian. This information is required to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all players.

• Volunteer and member information — names, contact details, and any relevant background check information (such as FA DBS clearance) for coaches, officials, and volunteers.

• Website usage data — our website is hosted on Wix, which may automatically collect technical data such as your IP address, browser type, device type, and pages visited. Please refer to Wix's Privacy Policy for further details on how Wix processes this data.

• Social media interactions — if you engage with us via Facebook or Instagram, those platforms' own privacy policies will apply to that data.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes:
● To respond to enquiries submitted via our contact form
● To register and manage players' participation in Club teams and activities
● To communicate important Club news, match fixtures, and results to members, players, and parents/guardians
● To ensure the welfare and safeguarding of all players, particularly children and young people
● To comply with our obligations to the Football Association (FA) and relevant league bodies
● To process volunteer applications and maintain appropriate records
● To operate and improve our website

4. Our Legal Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we rely on the following lawful bases:
● Legitimate interests — for general Club communications and website operation
● Contract — where processing is necessary to fulfil a membership or registration agreement
● Legal obligation — where we are required to process data to comply with safeguarding, FA regulations, or other legal requirements
● Consent — where you have specifically opted in (e.g. receiving Club newsletters or marketing communications)
● Vital interests — in emergency or welfare situations involving a child or vulnerable adult

5. Children's Data

The Club works with children and young people across a wide range of age groups. We take the protection of children's personal data extremely seriously. Where we process data relating to individuals under the age of 18, we require consent from a parent or legal guardian.

We do not share children's personal data with third parties except where required for safeguarding purposes, FA registration, or league administration.

If you are a parent or guardian and have concerns about how your child's data is being used, please contact our Welfare Officers (see Section 9).

6. Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell your personal data. We may share data with the following parties where necessary:
● The Football Association (FA) and affiliated county or local leagues, for player and official registration
● Wix.com — our website platform (see Wix's Privacy Policy)
● Safeguarding or statutory authorities — where we have a legal obligation or where sharing is necessary to protect the safety of a child or vulnerable adult
● Club volunteers and officials — on a need-to-know basis in order to manage teams and fixtures

7. How Long We Keep Your Data

We retain personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law.
● Player and member records are typically held for the duration of membership and for a reasonable period thereafter
● Data relating to children will be securely deleted once it is no longer required for safeguarding or administrative purposes
● Contact form enquiries are retained only as long as necessary to respond and resolve the matter

8. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
● Right of access — to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
● Right to rectification — to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
● Right to erasure — to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
● Right to restrict processing — to ask us to limit how we use your data
● Right to object — to object to processing based on legitimate interests
● Right to data portability — to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format where applicable
● Right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 9. We will respond within one month of receiving your request.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
● Website: www.ico.org.uk
● Telephone: 0303 123 1113

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, how we handle your data, or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us:
Gravesham Borough Youth Football Club Cedar Avenue, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 5JS

Via our website contact form: www.graveshamboroughfc.com/contact

Welfare Officers: Dale Barnett & Charlie Gear-Chattam (safeguarding and child welfare enquiries)

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.