Privacy Policy

This privacy notice explains how Candles By Matthew (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects and uses personal information when you visit our website, make a booking, contact us or attend one of our workshops.

Candles By Matthew is responsible for the personal information described in this notice. If you have any questions about your data, please contact us through the enquiry form on our website or reply to your booking confirmation email.

Information we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

• Contact details, such as your name and email address.
• Booking information, including the workshop booked, number of places, order or ticket details, attendance information and payment status.
• Enquiry information, such as the type of event, approximate group size, preferred date and anything you include in your message.
• Safety information you choose to provide, for example information about allergies, sensitivities or pregnancy where it is relevant to taking part safely.
• Technical information, such as IP address, browser/device information and basic server or security logs generated when you use the website.

We do not intentionally collect more information than we need. Payment card details are normally handled by the relevant payment provider and are not stored by Candles By Matthew in full.

How and why we use your information

We use personal information to:

• process and administer workshop bookings;
• send booking confirmations and important information about your class;
• respond to private-class, corporate and general enquiries;
• plan workshops, manage attendance and provide the service safely;
• keep appropriate accounting, tax and business records;
• protect our website, prevent misuse and resolve technical problems; and
• send marketing only where we have a lawful basis to do so and, where required, your consent.

Our lawful bases

Under UK data-protection law, we rely on one or more lawful bases depending on the activity:

• Contract — where information is needed to take your booking, deliver the workshop or deal with something directly connected with your booking.
• Legitimate interests — for reasonable business administration, responding to enquiries, improving our service and protecting the website, where those interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Legal obligation — where we need to keep or disclose information to comply with law, tax or accounting requirements.
• Consent — where the law requires consent, including certain marketing activities. If you voluntarily tell us health-related information such as an allergy or pregnancy, we use that only for workshop safety and rely on your explicit consent where special-category data rules apply.

Who we share information with

We may share information only where reasonably necessary with service providers that help us operate, such as website hosting, email, ticketing, payment and booking providers; workshop venues or delivery partners where they genuinely need information to provide the service; accountants, insurers or professional advisers; and public authorities where the law requires it.

We do not sell your personal information.

International transfers

Some technology providers may process information outside the UK. Where UK data-protection law requires safeguards for an international transfer, we expect the relevant provider to use an approved safeguard or another lawful transfer mechanism.

How long we keep information

• Enquiries: normally up to 12 months after our last meaningful contact, unless there is a good reason to retain them longer.
• Booking and transaction records: normally up to 6 years where needed for accounting, tax, contractual or legal purposes.
• Health, allergy or pregnancy information: only for as long as it is reasonably needed for workshop safety, and normally deleted shortly after the workshop unless an incident, claim or legal obligation requires longer retention.
• Marketing records: until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent, plus a minimal suppression record where needed to respect that choice.

Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have rights to ask us for access to your personal information, correct inaccurate information, erase information, restrict how it is used, object to certain uses, or receive certain information in a portable format. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

These rights are subject to legal conditions and exceptions. To exercise a right, contact us through the website and tell us what you would like us to do.

Complaints

Please contact us first if you have a concern and we will try to resolve it. You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). More information is available at ico.org.uk.

Cookies and third-party content

The website may use cookies or similar technologies that are necessary for functions such as security, session handling and booking or checkout. Non-essential analytics or marketing cookies require an appropriate legal basis and, where required, consent.

Pages may also contain third-party content or links, such as Google Maps or Instagram. When you load third-party content or follow a third-party link, that provider may receive technical information about your device or connection and may use its own cookies or similar technologies under its own privacy terms. Candles By Matthew does not use the website for behavioural advertising.

Changes to this notice

We may update this privacy notice when our services, technology or legal obligations change. The current version will always be published on this page.