Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Emmanuel Christian Fellowship (ECF) Walthamstow (“we”, “us” or “our”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how information may be collected and used when you visit our website, contact us, or interact with its features.

We aim to handle personal information responsibly and only use it for legitimate church and website purposes. Please read this policy alongside any specific notice shown when you submit information through a form or other service.

2. Information We Collect

The information collected depends on the features you choose to use. It may include:

• Contact information: your name, email address, phone number, and the details you choose to include in a message submitted through our contact form.
• Messages and enquiries: information you provide when asking about church services, ministries, events, or other church activities.
• Technical information: limited information that may be processed by our hosting provider or website security tools, such as browser type, device information, IP address, and server logs.
• Media: photographs or videos that may be displayed in the church gallery or used to report on church activities.

Please do not submit sensitive personal information through the website unless it is specifically requested and a suitable method has been provided.

3. How We Use Information

Where applicable, information may be used to:

• respond to questions, prayer-related enquiries, and contact requests;
• provide information about church services, ministries, and activities you ask about;
• maintain, secure, and improve the website;
• manage website administration and prevent misuse; and
• meet legal obligations where they apply.

We do not intend to sell your personal information.

4. Sharing Information

We do not sell or rent personal information. Information may be accessible to authorised church representatives who need it to respond to you, or to service providers who support website hosting, security, or email delivery where those services are used.

Information may also be disclosed when required by law or when reasonably necessary to protect the rights, safety, and security of the church, website users, or others.

5. Cookies & Website Data

The website may use essential technical functions needed to display pages and operate features. Our hosting provider or embedded third-party services may also process technical data. If analytics, advertising, or additional tracking cookies are introduced, this policy and any required consent controls should be updated before they are used.

You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Disabling some cookies may affect how certain website features work.

6. Photos, Videos & Church Events

Our gallery may feature photographs or videos from church services, celebrations, ministries, travel, and other activities. Media should be collected and published respectfully, with appropriate permission or another valid basis where required.

If you have a concern about a photograph or video in which you appear, please contact us using the details below and identify the relevant image or page. We will review the request and take appropriate steps where reasonably possible.

7. Data Security & Retention

We take reasonable steps to protect information handled through the website. However, no website, online transmission, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Information is intended to be kept only for as long as needed for the purpose for which it was collected, for legitimate church administration, or as required by law. Actual retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the systems used.

8. Your Privacy Choices

You may contact us to ask about personal information you have submitted, request correction of inaccurate details, or raise a concern about how your information is being handled. Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you may have additional rights concerning access, deletion, restriction, or objection.

We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. Some information may need to be retained where there is a lawful reason to do so.

9. External Links & Embedded Services

Our website may link to third-party websites or embed services such as maps, video platforms, or social media. Those services operate under their own privacy policies and practices. We encourage you to review their policies before providing information or interacting with embedded content.

10. Children's Privacy

Our church website may include information about children's and youth ministries or show images from church activities. Parents or guardians who have a concern about a child's personal information or published image should contact us. We aim to handle such requests carefully and appropriately.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when the website, our practices, or applicable requirements change. The latest version will be published on this page, with its update date shown at the top.