LAST UPDATED: AUGUST 2026

South London Shotokan Karate Club (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy outlines how your personal data is collected, used, stored, and protected when you visit our website (https://www.southlondonkarate.co.uk), train with us, or otherwise communicate with us, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018), and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA).

1. Who We Are & Data Controller

Club Name: South London Shotokan Karate Club (Affiliated to JKA England)
Website: https://www.southlondonkarate.co.uk
Email: info@southlondonkarate.co.uk
Training Venues: Chestnut Grove Academy (Boundaries Road Entrance), Balham, London SW12 8JZ & Saint Francis Xavier Sixth Form College, 10 Malwood Rd, Clapham South, London SW12 8EN

The Data Controller responsible for your personal data is Sensei Martin Dobson of South London Shotokan Karate Club. If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, please contact us by email at info@southlondonkarate.co.uk.

2. Information We Collect

Through your use of our website, contact forms, emails, telephone calls, and club membership/grading registrations, we may collect the following categories of personal information:

  • Contact Information: Full name, email address, telephone numbers, and postal address.
  • Training & Grading Information: Karate grade (kyu/dan), training attendance records, grading history, license/membership details, and JKA England affiliation details.
  • Enquiries & Correspondence: Details you provide when contacting us via email, phone, or website contact forms.
  • Technical & Usage Data: Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type and version, device information, and interaction data collected via essential server logs and privacy-compliant analytics (subject to your cookie preferences).

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following lawful bases set out in Article 6 of the UK GDPR:

  • Contract / Legitimate Interests (Club Operations): To manage training sessions, schedule classes, administer gradings, register members, respond to enquiries, and communicate essential club announcements.
  • Legal Obligation & Duty of Care: To maintain required safety records, comply with insurance regulations, and uphold our safeguarding commitments.
  • Consent: Where you have given explicit consent, such as opting in to non-essential website analytics cookies. You may withdraw consent at any time.

4. Safeguarding & Children’s Privacy

South London Shotokan Karate Club welcomes students aged 10 and above. We take the safeguarding and protection of children and vulnerable adults seriously. For participants under 18 (and specifically under 13), parental or legal guardian consent and contact details are collected upon registration. We strictly adhere to the JKA England Safeguarding & Governance Policy.

5. Information Sharing & Third-Party Processors

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We only share data with trusted service providers who assist in operating our website and administering club activities:

  • JKA England: For official karate licensing, insurance validation, and grading registrations.
  • SiteGround Hosting Ltd: Secure website hosting infrastructure located in the UK/EU.
  • BunnyCDN: High-performance content delivery network and static edge caching.
  • Google LLC: Interactive venue maps and web analytics (Google Analytics 4), configured with Google Consent Mode v2.

6. International Data Transfers

Where third-party service providers (such as Google) process data outside the United Kingdom, transfers are made in full compliance with UK GDPR international transfer rules, utilizing the UK-US Data Bridge (UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework) or Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) to ensure equivalent protection standards.

7. Security of Information

We implement robust technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or loss. These include encrypted (HTTPS/TLS) data transmission, password-protected and firewall-secured databases, restricted access protocols, and secure physical storage for any paper documentation.

8. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies — small text files placed on your device. We respect your choices through our cookie consent banner and Google Consent Mode v2:

Category Status Purpose
Strictly Necessary Always Active Essential for website security, page navigation, and remembering your cookie consent preferences. No consent required.
Analytics Off Until Accepted Aggregated, privacy-friendly analytics via Google Analytics 4 to help us understand site visits and improve user experience. Active only after you explicitly accept.

You can adjust or withdraw your cookie consent at any time by clicking the “Manage cookie settings” link in the website footer or adjusting your browser settings.

9. Data Retention

We keep your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected:

  • General Enquiries: Retained for up to 1 year following the conclusion of correspondence.
  • Member & Grading Records: Retained for the duration of your club membership plus 6 years following departure, in accordance with standard legal limitation periods and martial arts insurance requirements.
  • Analytics Data: Retained in Google Analytics for up to 14 months.

10. Your Legal Rights under UK GDPR & DUAA

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, you have significant rights regarding your personal data:

  • Right of Access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to Rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): You may request deletion of your personal data where there is no compelling legal reason for continued processing.
  • Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we pause processing your data in certain circumstances.
  • Right to Data Portability: You can request a copy of your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format.
  • Right to Object: You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
  • Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without penalty.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact Martin Dobson at info@southlondonkarate.co.uk. We respond to all verified requests free of charge within one calendar month.

11. Complaints & Supervisory Authority

If you have any concerns or complaints about how we handle your personal data, please contact us directly so we can resolve the issue promptly. Under the UK GDPR and DUAA, you also have the right to lodge a formal complaint with the UK supervisory authority:

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Helpline: 0303 123 1113
Website: https://www.ico.org.uk

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our club practices, technology, or legal requirements. Any modifications will be published directly on this page with an updated “Last updated” date.

13. Contact Details

For any questions or requests concerning this Privacy Policy, please get in touch:

South London Shotokan Karate Club
Email: info@southlondonkarate.co.uk
Website: https://www.southlondonkarate.co.uk/contact/