Privacy Policy

01 Who we are

The East London School of Classical Music (ELSCM) is an independent music charity founded in 2015, dedicated to making classical music accessible and inclusive for everyone in our community.

ELSCM is the data controller responsible for your personal information. Our contact details are provided in Section 12.

02 Data we collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

We do not collect special category data (such as health information, ethnicity, or biometric data) unless you voluntarily provide it as part of an enquiry, and only where strictly necessary.

03 How we use your data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• Processing ticket purchases and managing event attendance
• Processing donations and issuing gift aid declarations
• Responding to enquiries about tuition, courses, and enrolment
• Sending newsletters and concert updates (where you have opted in)
• Administering fundraising campaigns and supporter communications
• Improving our website and services through analytics
• Complying with our legal and regulatory obligations as a charity
• Maintaining accurate student and tutor records

04 Legal basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, we rely on the following lawful bases when processing your data:

• Consent — for marketing emails and newsletters. You may withdraw consent at any time by clicking "unsubscribe" in any email or contacting us directly.
• Contract performance — to process ticket bookings, student enrolments, and donations you have made.
• Legitimate interests — to improve our services, maintain website security, and communicate with supporters who have previously engaged with ELSCM, where these interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Legal obligation — to comply with charity law, HMRC requirements, and other applicable regulations.

05 Sharing your data

We do not sell your personal data. We may share it with trusted third parties only in the following circumstances:

• Eventbrite — for ticket sales and event management. Eventbrite operates under its own privacy policy.
• Payment processors — to securely process donations and ticket payments.
• Email marketing platforms — to manage and send newsletters, subject to your consent.
• Website and hosting providers — who process data on our behalf under appropriate data processing agreements.
• Legal and regulatory authorities — where required by law, court order, or regulatory obligation.

All third-party processors are required to handle your data securely and only as instructed by us.

06 How long we keep your data

We retain your data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy:

• Event and donation records — 7 years (to comply with HMRC and charity accounting requirements)
• Student and tuition records — 3 years after the end of a student relationship
• Marketing data — until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent
• Contact and enquiry data — 2 years from last contact, unless a continuing relationship exists
• Website analytics data — typically 26 months

After these periods, your data is securely deleted or anonymised.

07 Your rights

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

• Right of access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure — request deletion of your data in certain circumstances ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing — request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to object — object to processing based on legitimate interests, or to direct marketing
• Rights relating to automated decisions — we do not make automated decisions that produce legal or significant effects on you

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 12. We will respond within 30 days.

08 Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to improve your experience and analyse site traffic. We use:

• Essential cookies — required for core website functionality
• Analytics cookies — to understand how visitors use our site (e.g. Google Analytics)
• Marketing cookies — only where you have given consent via our cookie banner

Our website is built with Elementor on WordPress, which sets certain technical cookies by default. You can manage or disable cookies at any time through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect site functionality.

09 Third-party links

Our website contains links to third-party platforms including Eventbrite, Facebook, and YouTube. Clicking these links takes you to external sites governed by their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any third-party websites and encourage you to review their policies before providing any personal information.

10 Children's privacy

ELSCM provides music education to students of all ages, including children under 18. Where we collect personal data about a child, we do so only with the knowledge and consent of a parent or guardian.

Parents or guardians may contact us at any time to review, update, or request deletion of their child's personal data. Please refer to Section 12 for contact details.

11 Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our practices, or our services. The most current version will always be available on this page, with the effective date shown above. For significant changes, we will notify newsletter subscribers by email.

12 Contact us

For any questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal data, please reach out to us:

We aim to respond to all data-related requests within 30 days of receipt.