Privacy Notice

Introduction

This notice explains how St. Oswald’s Conference Centre, which is operated by Peterborough Cathedral, uses and manages personal information provided in connection with venue enquiries, room hire, events, meetings, visits, website use and related communications. It also explains your rights in relation to that information.

We have developed this notice so that conference centre clients, visitors, suppliers and other people who contact us can feel confident about the privacy and security of the personal information they provide to us.

This notice applies to individuals who make enquiries, request quotations, book rooms or services, attend events, provide services to us, or otherwise communicate with St. Oswald’s Conference Centre. Where we process personal data for wider Cathedral activities, other Peterborough Cathedral privacy notices may also apply.

Your personal data – what is it?

Personal data relates to a living individual who can be identified from that data. Identification can be by the information alone or together with other information in our possession, or likely to come into our possession. The processing of personal data is governed by the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

How do we process your personal data?

We take reasonable steps to keep personal data accurate and up to date. Please tell us if the personal information you have provided to us changes so that we can update our records.

This privacy notice applies to personal data, including special category data where relevant, processed in connection with St. Oswald’s Conference Centre. Some sections may not apply to every person who contacts or uses the conference centre.

Your personal data may be processed by members of Cathedral staff, volunteers or approved service providers for purposes connected with the operation of St. Oswald’s Conference Centre, including the following:

Where we process special category data, such as health, access, dietary, safeguarding or other sensitive information connected with an event or venue booking, we will do so only where we have a lawful basis and an appropriate condition under data protection law.

To respond to venue hire enquiries, provide information about available rooms, prepare quotations and discuss hire requirements
To manage room bookings, event arrangements, contracts, invoices, payments and related administration
To support safe and effective event delivery, including access arrangements, visitor information, dietary requirements, health and safety needs and safeguarding matters where relevant
To manage suppliers, contractors, caterers, speakers, exhibitors and other third parties involved in delivering events at the conference centre
To send relevant information about conference centre services, availability, events and follow-up communications, where we have a lawful basis to do so
To maintain accurate accounts, booking records, correspondence and audit trails connected with conference centre enquiries, hires, events and services
To support bookings and ticketing for conference centre events, talks or activities where applicable
To review feedback, surveys and correspondence so that we can improve our conference centre facilities, services and customer experience

In summary, we usually use your information to respond to enquiries, manage bookings, deliver venue services, maintain records and communicate with you about relevant conference centre matters. The lawful basis will depend on the purpose and the nature of your relationship with us.

What is the legal basis for processing your personal data?

Unless otherwise indicated in Appendix 1, we process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests in operating St. Oswald’s Conference Centre, responding to enquiries, managing bookings, delivering events and maintaining appropriate records, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.

Depending on your relationship with us, we may also process personal data because it is necessary to perform a contract with you, to take steps before entering into a contract, to comply with a legal obligation, or because you have given consent. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time. Where we use personal data for marketing communications, we will do so only where data protection and electronic marketing rules allow.

Where cookies or similar technologies are used on the website, strictly necessary cookies are used to provide the service requested or to operate the website. Non-essential cookies, such as analytics, advertising or targeting cookies, will be used only where the relevant consent requirements are met.

Sharing your personal data

Your personal data will be treated as confidential and shared only where necessary for the operation of St. Oswald’s Conference Centre, Peterborough Cathedral’s administration, event delivery, legal or regulatory requirements, safeguarding, health and safety, or the protection of individuals. This may include sharing information with staff, approved volunteers, service providers, professional advisers, emergency services or relevant public authorities where appropriate.

Personal data may be shared with third-party service providers who support our conference centre operations, including providers of website hosting, booking systems, IT support, email communications, payments, catering, event services, security, cleaning, maintenance, finance, legal or professional services.

Any customer relationship management system used to manage conference centre enquiries, bookings or customer records
Sitewide – website provider used to support the St. Oswald’s Conference Centre website where applicable
Mailchimp or any email communications provider used to send conference centre communications, newsletters or updates where there is a lawful basis to do so
Optimity or any managed IT service provider used to support St. Oswald’s Conference Centre systems and operations where applicable
Any online booking, enquiry or form provider used to receive conference centre hire enquiries, registrations or event information
Peterborough Cathedral and any approved professional advisers or service providers who support the administration, finance, governance or operation of St. Oswald’s Conference Centre
Jotform or any other form provider used for conference centre enquiries, applications, registrations or event information
Survey and feedback analysis providers used to review conference centre feedback, surveys and service improvement data

Otherwise, we will only share your data with third parties with your consent.

Where named service providers are listed, the provider named is correct at the time this notice is published. If we change providers, we will update this notice or provide equivalent privacy information through an appropriate channel.

Transferring personal information outside the UK

Some of our service providers may process personal data outside the UK. Where this happens, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy regulation or approved contractual protections, unless another lawful transfer mechanism applies.

Cookies and website forms

When you use the St. Oswald’s Conference Centre website, we may collect information through cookies, analytics tools and online forms. You do not have to provide personal information to browse the website, but some services, forms or booking functions may not work properly unless you provide the information needed to respond to your enquiry or manage the service you request. Information submitted through contact, enquiry or 4 Privacy Notice – St. Oswald’s Conference Centre 2026

booking forms will be used to respond to your request, manage any related booking or service, administer the website and help improve our online services.

Cookies are small files placed on your device that allow a website to recognise your device and support website functions. Necessary cookies help the website operate, for example by keeping track of a current session, remembering cookie choices, supporting navigation and enabling online shop or checkout functions where applicable. Other cookies, such as analytics, advertising or targeting cookies, should only be used where the relevant consent requirements are met.

The Cathedral website may use cookies to analyse how visitors use the site, improve website performance and make online services easier to use. Cookies may also help retrieve information from Cathedral systems, such as saved preferences. Cookies used by the website do not store financial information or information such as your name or address directly within the cookie.

Where the website includes content or services provided by third parties, such as embedded media, website hosting, analytics, booking, enquiry or form tools, those providers may set their own cookies. St. Oswald’s Conference Centre and Peterborough Cathedral do not control third-party cookies, and visitors should check the relevant third party’s cookie or privacy information for more details.

When a cookie banner or cookie settings tool is available, visitors can choose which non-essential cookies they allow. If a visitor rejects non-essential cookies, only strictly necessary cookies should be used. Visitors can also manage or block cookies through their browser settings, although blocking cookies may affect how some parts of the website work.

How long do we keep your personal data?

We keep personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information, including enquiries, booking records, contracts, invoices, accident or incident records, safeguarding information, complaints and correspondence. Where Cathedral records retention guidance applies, we will also take account of the Church of England Record Retention Schedule.

Your rights and your personal data

Unless subject to an exemption under the UK GDPR or Data Protection Act 2018, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data:
Request access to your personal information – this is usually known as making a ‘data subject access request’ and it enables you to receive a copy of the personal information we hold about you
Request rectification of your personal information if it is incorrect – this enables you to have any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you corrected.
Request the erasure of your personal information – this enables you to ask us to delete or remove your personal information where there’s no compelling reason forits continued processing; e.g. it’s no longer necessary in relation to the purpose for which it was originally collected
Restrict the processing of your personal information – this enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of your personal information; e.g. if you contest its accuracy and so want us to verify its accuracy

The right to object to the processing of personal data, (where applicable)

The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office. The ICO can be contacted through its website at www.ico.org.uk or by telephone on 0303 123 1113.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer. We may need to request specific information from you to verify your identity and check your right to access the personal information or exercise any of your other rights.

Changes to this Privacy Notice

Peterborough Cathedral may update or amend this Privacy Notice from time to time. We keep this notice under regular review and will make the latest version available through the St. Oswald’s Conference Centre website or other appropriate communication channels.

Complaints

If you believe that we have not complied with your data protection rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer first so that we can try to resolve the matter. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at any time. The ICO is the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues and contact details are available at www.ico.org.uk.

How to contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice, how we handle your personal information, how to update your information, or how to raise a query or complaint, please contact us using the details below. For conference centre enquiries, you can also contact conferencing@peterborough-cathedral.org.uk.

Data Protection Officer: Natalie Freeman

Email: data@peterborough-cathedral.org.uk

Data Controller for St. Oswald’s Conference Centre: Jack Pishhorn

Email: COO@peterborough-cathedral.org.uk

Privacy Notice – Legitimate Interest Assessments

We have a specific purpose with a defined benefit. Which is to respond to conference centre enquiries, manage room hire, administer bookings and deliver agreed venue services in an efficient, effective and appropriate way.

The processing is necessary to achieve the defined benefit. It is not possible to respond to enquiries, prepare quotations, manage bookings, deliver events or maintain appropriate records without processing limited personal information for those purposes.

The purpose is balanced against, and does not override, the interests, rights and freedoms of data subjects. The processing supports clear communication with clients, delegates, suppliers and event contacts. Personal data is limited to what is necessary for the relevant purpose, and access is restricted to those who need it to carry out their role.