Privacy Policy – www.bouncingback.org.uk

Who we are Bouncing Back Dementia Support Group (“we”, “us” or “our”) operates the website www.bouncingback.org.uk. We are a peer-support group based in the Chester area, providing information, resources, and details of in-person support meetings for people affected by dementia, their families, and carers. We are not a registered charity, and we do not provide medical or professional care services.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

What personal information we collect We collect only limited personal information, and only when you choose to provide it or through necessary website operations:

• Name, email address, telephone number (optional), and any message details when you submit a contact/enquiry form.
• Technical information automatically collected when you visit the site, such as IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, time/date of access, and usage patterns (via server logs and Google Analytics).

We do not collect sensitive personal information (such as health details relating to dementia) through the website. If you share such information in a message, we will handle it carefully and not store it longer than necessary to respond.

How we collect your information

• Directly from you when you complete and submit a contact form or email us.
• Automatically through your use of the website (technical/log data and cookies/analytics tools).

Why we collect and use your information (legal basis) We process personal information for these purposes and on these legal bases:

• To respond to your enquiries, provide information about our support group meetings or resources → Legitimate interests (running our peer-support activities effectively) or contract (if responding forms part of an agreed service).
• To understand how visitors use the website, improve content and functionality, and ensure site security/performance → Legitimate interests (essential for site operation), but only after obtaining your consent for non-essential cookies/analytics via our cookie banner (see Cookies section below).
• If you sign up for occasional email updates (if implemented in future) → Consent (you can withdraw this at any time).

We will only use your information for the purposes described here (or as explained at the point of collection) unless required otherwise by law.

Cookies and similar technologies Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to make it function properly and to help us understand how it is used.

• Strictly necessary cookies: These are essential for the website to work (e.g., session management, security). They do not require consent and are always active.
• Analytics cookies: We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to collect anonymous usage data (e.g., number of visitors, popular pages, time on site). This helps us improve the site. GA4 sets the following main first-party cookies:
  
  • _ga — Used to distinguish unique users (expires after 2 years).
  • ga<property-id> — Used to persist session state and event data (expires after 2 years).
  • Other related cookies may include _gid (session tracking, expires after 24 hours) and _gat (request throttling, expires after 1 minute).

These analytics cookies are not strictly necessary and are only set if you give consent via our cookie banner.

We display a cookie banner on your first visit, allowing you to:

• Accept all cookies
• Reject non-essential cookies (including analytics)
• Make granular choices (if supported by our banner tool)

If you reject analytics cookies, we will not set them, and Google Analytics will not track your activity (or will use modeled/aggregated data only if Consent Mode is enabled — see below). You can change your preferences or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the cookie settings link [or describe how, e.g., in footer or banner].

We use Google Consent Mode (v2 if implemented) to respect your choices: when consent for analytics is not given, GA4 sends anonymized pings to support basic aggregate reporting without storing identifying cookies. Data from Google Analytics is processed by Google (as a processor) under our instructions, and we have a Data Processing Agreement in place.

For full details on Google Analytics cookies, see Google’s documentation: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11397207

Who we share your information with We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may share it only in these limited circumstances:

• With Google (for Analytics) — subject to their privacy terms and our instructions. Data is processed in the UK/EEA or with appropriate safeguards.
• With trusted service providers who help operate the website (e.g., web hosting, email services) — they are required to protect your data.
• If required by law, court order, or to protect our rights, safety, or property (or that of others).

We do not transfer your data outside the UK/EEA without appropriate safeguards.

How long we keep your information We keep personal information only for as long as necessary:

• Enquiry details: usually deleted within 12 months after our last response (unless ongoing need requires longer).
• Google Analytics data: Retained in line with your GA4 settings (typically 2–14 months for user/event data; check your GA4 admin for exact retention). Technical/log data: typically 6–12 months for security.

We securely delete or anonymise data when no longer needed.

Your rights Under UK GDPR you have rights including access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection, portability (in limited cases), and withdrawal of consent.

To exercise these, contact us below. We will respond within one month (free of charge in most cases).

You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

• Website: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
• Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Security We take reasonable measures to protect your information (secure hosting, limited access). No internet transmission is 100% secure.

Children Our website is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

Changes to this notice We may update this notice. Changes will be posted here with a revised date.

Contact us Email: hello@bouncingback.org.uk

We do not have a formal Data Protection Officer, but we’re happy to discuss any concerns.

Thank you for visiting www.bouncingback.org.uk.