Privacy Policy

The British Cupping Society ("BCS", "we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal data responsibly. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal information when you visit our website, use our practitioner register, contact us, or otherwise interact with our services.

Please read this policy carefully. By using our website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood how we process personal data as described below.

The British Cupping Society is a professional organisation established to promote education, evidence, and excellence in cupping therapy. For the purposes of UK data protection law, BCS is the data controller responsible for your personal data.

Contact details:

• British Cupping Society
• 7 Brook Parade, Chigwell, IG7 6PE, United Kingdom
• Email: contact via our website contact form
• Website: www.britishcuppingsociety.org

We may collect and process the following types of personal information:

• Identity and contact data, such as your name, email address, telephone number, and professional details when you contact us or register interest in membership or training.
• Practitioner register data, including names, qualifications, practice addresses, contact details, and registration status for certified practitioners listed on our website.
• Technical and usage data, such as IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and referral source, collected through cookies and similar technologies.
• Communication data, including the content of messages you send to us and our responses.
• Marketing and preferences data, where you have opted in to receive updates, newsletters, or event information.

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• To operate and maintain our website and practitioner register.
• To respond to enquiries, membership applications, and training requests.
• To verify practitioner credentials and maintain the integrity of the BCS register.
• To send administrative communications, including confirmations and service updates.
• To improve our website, services, and user experience through analytics and feedback.
• To comply with legal obligations and protect our legal rights.
• To send marketing communications where you have given consent or where permitted by law.

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, we process personal data on one or more of the following legal bases:

• Consent - where you have given clear consent, for example to receive marketing emails.
• Contract - where processing is necessary to perform a contract or take steps at your request before entering a contract.
• Legal obligation - where we must comply with applicable law or regulatory requirements.
• Legitimate interests - where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party, provided your rights do not override those interests. This includes operating our register, maintaining website security, and improving our services.

We do not sell your personal data. We may share information with trusted third parties where necessary, including:

• Service providers who assist with website hosting, email delivery, analytics, payment processing, or IT support, under appropriate contractual safeguards.
• Professional advisers such as lawyers, accountants, or insurers where required.
• Regulatory or law enforcement bodies where we are legally required to do so.
• Partner organisations involved in education, training, or professional registration, where relevant to your enquiry or membership.

Your information is primarily processed within the United Kingdom. If we transfer personal data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other mechanisms recognised under UK data protection law.

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Practitioner register information may be retained for the duration of registration and for a reasonable period thereafter for audit and regulatory purposes.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it.

Under UK data protection law, you may have the following rights:

• The right to access a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• The right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• The right to request erasure of your data in certain circumstances.
• The right to restrict or object to processing in certain circumstances.
• The right to data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
• The right to withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
• The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to enable core functionality, remember preferences, and understand how visitors use the site. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including social media platforms and external resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing personal information.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will indicate when the policy was last revised. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us using the details in section 2 above.