Overview

Field Studies Council is a Company limited by Guarantee, reg. England and Wales No. 00412621, and a Charity No. 313364 in England & Wales, SCO39870 in Scotland. FSC Trading Limited is a subsidiary of Field Studies Council, reg No. 12891131, and operates as the commercial arm of the charity, generating income to support the charitable objectives of Field Studies Council.

Both entities are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office. Field Studies Council, registration number Z5445662. FSC Trading Limited, registration number ZB203251.

Field Studies Council and its subsidiary FSC Trading Limited operate under the trading name of Field Studies Council. Both act as joint data controller for personal data processed as data controller under the Field Studies Council name and share the same Data Protection Policy and Data Privacy Statements.

Our handling of your data is controlled by the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) 2019. We take our data processing responsibilities seriously. This document provides you with an overview of the processing we undertake and why.

Our primary goal in the processing of personal data is to enable us to provide a “not for profit” service for the benefit of schools, colleges, universities, businesses, organisations, clubs, societies, groups, and individuals, in our role as an environmental education provider. Processing of personal data is necessary to operate and to offer the products and services that satisfy the requirements and expectations of our supporters. We fully understand that you will want to be assured that the personal information that you provide to us will be handled and used safely, appropriately, and securely. This data privacy statement is part of that assurance and outlines the who, how and why of personal data processing at Field Studies Council, with the aim of reassuring supporters and employees that we perform this vital duty both responsibly and with care.

Who we process information about

We process personal information to varying degrees for the following groups of people:

supporters (customers, members, volunteers)
employees (past, prospective, and current)
trustees
complainants
enquirers
visitors, advisers, suppliers, and representatives of other organisations.

When we collect personal data
We collect personal data about you when:

You express an interest in our products and services or employment opportunities either by phone, email, live chat, social media, webforms, webinar attendance, contact us provision, when signing up to newsletters and other communications
You contact our enquiries, sales, or customer service representatives.
You attend an event where we are hosting or participating, and you provide us with contact details and consent to be contacted by us following the event.
You connect with us through a social media channel; we will know your social media handle and any information you make available through interactions with our social media channel. However, unless we undertake additional processing, the social media company remains data-controller of your personal information.
You use our website, online learning platform, or respond to our emails. We will gather details about your usage of our sites through cookies, analytics, and similar technologies. This may include your IP address and information about your visit.
You make a booking/purchase either via one of our websites/online sales platforms, in-person, over the phone, or via email.
You attend one of our courses or experiences.
You participate in Field Studies Council surveys or competitions. These may require you to provide contact information such as name, phone number, and email address. Courses and events funded by external projects, bodies, or organisations may require the capture of additional personal information e.g. socio-demographic details of the attendee to meet with the requirements of the funding body/organisation.
You apply for a subsidy or grant supplied by Field Studies Council.
You enquire about, and/or apply for employment with Field Studies Council.
You start in service/employment with Field Studies Council (both paid and voluntary roles)
You are a visitor to our Head Office or to one of our Field Centres. You may be asked to provide your name, signature, company name and car registration number.
You are an employee, or visitor to our Centres. Personal identifiable images may be captured in CCTV footage at our sites.

When we collect personal data from other sources

Field Studies Council will periodically purchase contact lists from third parties for marketing purposes to help sustain or grow the charity. These lists relate to corporate, professional, or education sector contacts/potential clients only.

How we use your data

The personal data we obtain from you is used to:

Respond to your enquiries/requests
Deliver our products and services appropriately
Ensure we adhere to our health and safety and compliance obligations
Aid the smooth running of our charity
Improve our products and services
Obtain business analytics and audience reach data in relation to user/purchaser/visitor interactions with us
Promote additional or future Field Studies Council products and services

Your personal data, depending on your relationship with Field Studies Council, may be processed in one or more of the following ways.

Data processing relating to supporters and enquirers

Processing payment transactions for courses and merchandise purchased, either face to face, over the telephone, or online via our website and e-commerce systems.
Processing of supporter details within our Integrated Bookings System and/or Customer Relations Management (CRM) system in relation to the sale of products and services and to support appropriate communication between us and the supporter
Processing of enquirer details to respond to requests about our charity, its products, and its services
Processing to enable Field Studies Council to claim Gift Aid
Processing in relation to order, booking and financial administration for products and services purchased
Processing of course participants and residential visitor data to enable provision for rooming, accommodation, and dietary needs
Processing medical details and emergency contact information for course attendees at Field Studies Council run courses and experiences to ensure appropriate operational, health & safety provision
Processing personal data in accordance with our legal and regulatory compliance obligations
Processing in relation to dealing with accidents and incidents
Processing personal data of volunteers to enable us to interact with and manage volunteers, including ensuring suitable training is provided
Processing in relation to CCTV to ensure site safety
Processing in relation to applications for grants, project funding and subsidies offered by us and supporting bodies
Processing course attendance/completion where courses require external accreditation
Processing in relation to tax returns and accounting records to fulfill the charity’s legal and regulatory financial obligations

Data processing relating to marketing & promotional activities

Where Individual supporters have provided their ‘consent’ to be contacted; processing will occur in relation to brochure, newsletter, and email campaigns to promote the work, products, and services offered by Field Studies Council
Group and education sector contact records are processed for marketing and promotional purposes. The lawful basis for this processing is based on ‘legitimate interests’ of the charity. The purpose of this processing and the charity’s ‘legitimate interests’ in conducting this processing has been balance-checked against the rights and freedoms of the individual
Field Studies Council occasionally uses paid for marketing lists from third parties for marketing purposes to help sustain or grow the charity. These lists relate to corporate, professional, or education sector contacts/potential clients only. The purpose of this processing and the charity’s ‘legitimate interests’ in conducting this processing has been balance-checked against the rights and freedoms of the individual
Data processing and obtaining consent in relation to photographic material captured for marketing purposes where the material contains personally identifiable images

FSC’s data processing in relation to managing employees

Keeping accurate and up-to-date employee records including performance, sickness, and disciplinary information
Processing of employee details specific to role and job function such as certification and accreditation
Keeping an accurate and up-to-date record of training completed
Employee reporting for operational and strategic management of staff to meet the needs of the charity
Processing personal details in the production of staff payroll and BACS transactions
Processing of employee data as necessary for income tax, national insurance, and pension purposes
Processing in relation to additional payments (for example, staff expenses, settlement agreements etc)
Processing photo consent for personal photographic images used in the creation of marketing and informational materials.
Processing employee details in the creation of confidential employee references
Processing in relation to providing employee benefits (for example, health plan and life assurance).
Processing in relation to the charity fulfilling its legal and regulatory obligations

Examples of where FSC’s data processing activities are performed for legal and compliance purposes

Submitting reports to HMRC and for financial auditing purposes
Submitting reports to Teachers Pension Scheme, TPT (formerly the Pensions Trust), NEST, and the Local Government Pension Scheme
Keeping records of employees who have completed training for compliance purposes e.g. Safeguarding
Processing driver details for employees driving company/private vehicles on company business
Processing in relation to dealing with accidents and incidents

FSC’s data-processing in relation to the Digital Services that we provide

Processing of customer details to create user accounts to access our web services e.g. website and online learning platforms
Processing employee details to create users account access to a range of digital services
Processing to automate the creation of employee email signatures
Processing in relation to CCTV to ensure site safety
The backup of personal information for security and disaster recovery purposes

FSC’s other data-processing activities

Processing in relation to staff recruitment and monitoring of the recruitment process.
Processing by the Publications function of Field Studies Council in relation to authors, royalties, and copyright consent.
Processing payments to suppliers/service providers such as individuals, sole traders, and partnerships

When we share your data

We do not share personal information with other organisations for marketing, market research or commercial gain. We do not sell your data.

To provide the products and services that we offer it is necessary for us to engage selected suppliers. Our operations rely on several digital systems and platforms to function as a charity. Where we do use suppliers to process personal data, and where Field Studies Council is data controller, we have obtained agreements or have contractual assurances in place to ensure appropriate data-protection compliance.

Field Studies Council also works in partnership with selected organisations to deliver a small number of products and services. Where we do offer products and services in partnership, there will be a specific need to share personal data with the partner organisation. If your personal data is to be shared in this manner with a partner organisation this will be made clear to you at point of sale before you place your order. As of August 2025, our list of partner organisations includes:

The Open University
Manchester Metropolitan University
Harper Adams University
The Royal Parks
Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland
The Royal Entomological Society
UK Youth

Sometimes we are required to share personal information with the individual (data subject) and with other individuals or organisations where we have a legal obligation or lawful basis to do so. Examples include:

in response to enquiries / subject access requests by the data subject
family, associates, or representatives of the data subject in cases of emergency or incident response
current, past, and prospective employers (in relation to employees of Field Studies Council)
healthcare and welfare organisations (in relation to employees of Field Studies Council)
educators and examining bodies (where applicable, both supporters and employees)
financial organisations (including banking and pensions)
legal representatives & insurance companies
emergency services
regulatory bodies
Local and central government

Employment enquiries and the recruitment process

The personal data you provide when enquiring about employment opportunities and/or during the recruitment process will be used to supply you with vacancy details and to enable us to process your application for employment. All applications are electronically stored, kept confidential, and will not be shared with third parties, except where required to do so by law, or where we have retained the services of a third-party representative to act on your/our behalf. If you are not appointed, your information will be held securely for a maximum 12-month period to monitor the recruitment process, and in case of legal challenge. We will also contact you during this time about future vacancies unless you instruct us not to do so.

Field Studies Council Websites

Field Studies Council is committed to the privacy and security of visitors to our websites. You can use most of the features without disclosing any personal information. However, use of some features such as registering an online account, placing an order, or completing any enquiry form, will ask you to provide some personal information. By registering an online account, placing an order, or making an enquiry, you consent to the collection and processing of your personal data under the terms of this policy.

Website Cookies

We use essential cookies to make our website work. We use additional cookies to remember your settings, to understand how you use our site so we can improve it for you, and to make our marketing efforts as useful as possible. You can choose to reject all non-essential cookies if you wish to do so. You can find out more about how we use cookies at:

www.field-studies-council.org/about-us/data-protection/website-privacy-and-cookies-statement/

Security of online payments

Field Studies Council uses a PCI Level 1 service provider to handle online payments on its behalf, which utilises AES-256 encryption of card numbers. This level of compliance and security is the most stringent level of certification available in the payments industry. By using trusted and class-leading payments services this removes the need for Field Studies Council to store debit/credit card numbers on any of its systems.

Links to third party websites

Field Studies Council websites and online learning platforms may contain links to external sites not run by us. We cannot be held responsible for the privacy policies of these websites even if you are accessing them via our websites. In such cases, we would advise that you check the policy of each site that you visit. If you are visiting our website via a third-party website, we cannot be held responsible for the policies of that third-party site.

Where we store our data

Personal data supplied to us electronically or by paper-based methods is processed in the UK and stored within computer systems and secure Data Centres based either in the UK or the EEA (European Economic Area). This also includes our data backups.

Transfer of personal data

As data-controller will not transfer your personal data to locations outside of the EEA without GDPR/EU Security Shield level data protection compliance in place.

Data Security

We have security measures in place to protect (to the best of our ability and financial means as a charity) against loss, misuse, and unauthorised access. Information security policies are in place and are regularly reviewed, and our systems use technologies to secure data both in transmission and storage.

Our Staff - Confidentiality & Data Training

We take all reasonable steps to ensure the integrity of our employees with access to personal data. A confidentiality agreement forms part of the terms and conditions of employment as requirement in article 28 (3b) of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Where our employees handle personal data, those staff undertake data protection training every 2 years.

Data Retention

Personal data is processed in different ways for different purposes but is only retained for as long as necessary in the context for which it was originally collected/obtained. Below is an overview of key retention periods used by the charity.

Personal data relating to course attendees is retained only for 1 month after course completion unless the course is an accredited course with certification at the end.
With financial data related to the products and services we sell (including orders and details of the purchaser) we are required by law to retain for the current financial year and the following six years (known as the 6 years +1 retention period and is the standard retention period as required by HMRC).
Accident, injury, or incident logs/reports are retained for 21 years (the period of potential litigation against the charity).

Once the limit of the retention period is reached, personal data is either deleted or anonymised.

Your acceptance of our data processing and privacy arrangements

By using our sites, services, entering a contract of sale or employment, or engaging in discussions with us about the products and services, volunteering, or employment opportunities that we offer, we take this as your acceptance of our data privacy statement. If you do not agree to this, then you are advised not to use our sites, make bookings or purchases, or engage with us in discussions about our products, services, or employment opportunities in a manner where we will need to process your personal information.

Your data rights

Any personal information submitted via our websites, in person, by telephone, by post, by email, or by other electronic methods is treated in accordance with current UK data protection legislation. To find out more visit https://ico.org.uk/

You may request a copy of personal data that we hold about you at any time. This is referred to as making a ‘Subject Access Request’. You can find out more about this by visiting https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/your-right-to-get-copies-of-your-data/

If you have any data queries not covered by this privacy statement, contact our Data Protection Officer via email.

Email – dataprotection@field-studies-council.org

Last Update: 03 September 2025