Effective date: 7 October 2026
The Burnt Protea Society ("BPS", "we", "us" or "our") is operated by Robert Brett Mackay Suverkrop, trading as The Burnt Protea Society, as a sole trader in the United Kingdom.
Business correspondence address: 39 Redbud Road, Tonbridge, TN9 1FX
Email: theburntproteasociety@gmail.com
Website: burntproteasociety.com
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and protect personal information when you visit our website, contact us, use BPS Digital tools or services, purchase BPS products or services, or otherwise interact with The Burnt Protea Society.
1. Information we may collect
Depending on how you use BPS, we may collect:
- your name and contact details, such as your email address;
- information you provide through contact, enquiry, project submission, Focus Session request or booking forms, including availability and preferred communication method where relevant;
- information needed to provide a service, manage a project or respond to support requests;
- billing, transaction and subscription information;
- information about products or services you purchase;
- content you choose to submit to BPS, including text, ideas, project material, files or other creative content;
- technical information reasonably required to operate, secure and maintain the website and services, such as IP address, browser information, device information and security logs; and
- correspondence between you and BPS.
We do not intentionally collect more personal information than we reasonably need for the purpose concerned.
2. BPS Digital tools and user-created content
BPS Digital includes tools and services such as ASH, SEED, ROOT, STEM and BLOOM.
Some BPS Digital tools may save working material locally in your browser or on your device. Where a tool states that information is saved locally, BPS does not receive that material simply because you type it into the tool. BPS will receive content only where the tool requires transmission to provide a feature, or where you choose to submit, send or share it with us.
Where we introduce a feature that processes information differently, we will provide appropriate information at the point of use.
You retain ownership of the original content, memories, ideas and other material you provide, subject to any separate agreement you enter into with BPS.
3. How we use personal information
We may use personal information to:
- respond to enquiries and communicate with you;
- take steps you request before entering into a contract;
- provide, manage and support BPS products and services;
- manage website design and development projects;
- process orders, subscriptions, deposits and balance payments;
- manage customer accounts or service access where applicable;
- provide BPS Digital tools, Studio Time or credits where applicable;
- review submissions to BLOOM or other BPS services;
- maintain business, accounting and transaction records;
- protect our website, customers and services from misuse, fraud or security threats;
- improve and administer our services; and
- send marketing communications where you have consented or where the law otherwise permits us to do so.
4. Our lawful bases
Under UK data protection law, the lawful basis we rely on will depend on the purpose.
We may rely on:
- Contract where processing is necessary to provide a product or service you have requested or purchased, or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract.
- Legal obligation where we need to keep or use information to comply with applicable law, tax, accounting or regulatory requirements.
- Legitimate interests where reasonably necessary to operate, secure, improve or administer BPS, respond to business enquiries, protect our rights, or maintain appropriate business records, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.
- Consent where we ask for your permission, for example for certain marketing or optional technologies. You can withdraw consent at any time.
5. Payments and Stripe
Payments for BPS products and services may be processed through Stripe.
Stripe processes payment and billing information under its own terms and privacy arrangements. BPS does not need to receive or store your full payment card details in order to take payment through Stripe.
BPS Stripe is used only for BPS products and services. Where BPS builds a website for another business, that business is responsible for using its own payment account for payments from its own customers.
6. Forms, enquiries and communications
If you contact BPS, submit an idea, make a booking enquiry, request support or complete a form, we will use the information you provide to deal with that request and any reasonable follow-up.
The BPS website currently uses third-party services where necessary to provide particular functions, including:
- Stripe for BPS payments, billing and subscriptions;
- Cloudflare for website hosting, delivery, performance and security and, where enabled, secure storage of Focus Session request records in Cloudflare D1;
- Google services for BPS email and related business communications; and
- FormSubmit where BPS enquiry, idea-submission, Focus Session request or client-onboarding forms are used to deliver submitted information to our support email.
Focus Session request information may be retained in the private BPS administration system so that BPS can review requests, select an agreed session time, manage payment status and keep an appropriate service record. Access to that administration system is restricted.
Those providers may process information in accordance with their own privacy terms and, where applicable, our arrangements with them.
7. Cookies and similar technologies
The BPS website may use storage or access technologies that are necessary for security, page delivery, payments, user-requested functionality or similar operational purposes.
We do not use this policy to claim the use of advertising or behavioural tracking technologies that are not actually in use.
If BPS introduces optional analytics, advertising or other non-essential tracking technologies, we will update the information provided to visitors and provide any consent or objection mechanism required by law.
Third-party services that you choose to use, such as Stripe Checkout, may use their own cookies or similar technologies.
8. Sharing personal information
We do not sell personal information.
We may share personal information only where reasonably necessary with:
- service providers who help us host, secure, communicate, take payment or deliver BPS services;
- professional advisers where necessary;
- public authorities, regulators or law-enforcement bodies where required by law; or
- another party where you have asked us to share information or where it is necessary to perform a contract with you.
9. International processing
Some service providers may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.
Where UK data protection law treats this as a restricted international transfer, we will take reasonable steps to ensure an appropriate lawful transfer mechanism or recognised protection is in place.
10. How long we keep information
We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, tax, contractual or dispute-resolution requirements.
As a general guide:
- routine enquiries that do not become projects may normally be deleted or anonymised after up to 12 months from the last meaningful contact;
- project and customer records may be kept for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards;
- transaction, invoice and business records may be retained for the period required by applicable tax and accounting rules; and
- information held only with your consent may be deleted earlier where you withdraw consent, unless another lawful basis requires us to retain it.
We may keep a limited record for longer where reasonably necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
11. Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.
No internet service can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You are responsible for keeping your own passwords, devices and account access secure.
12. Your data protection rights
Depending on the circumstances, UK data protection law may give you rights to:
- be informed about how your personal information is used;
- request access to your personal information;
- ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
- ask us to erase information in certain circumstances;
- ask us to restrict processing in certain circumstances;
- object to certain processing;
- receive certain information in a portable format where the right applies; and
- withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
BPS does not currently use solely automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects about customers.
To exercise a privacy right, contact theburntproteasociety@gmail.com. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.
13. Complaints
Please contact us first if you have a concern about how BPS has handled your personal information.
You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Information is available at ico.org.uk.
14. Children and younger users
Some creative material or tools may be suitable for younger users, but paid purchases, subscriptions and contractual services should be arranged by an adult unless we expressly state otherwise.
We do not knowingly seek to collect personal information from children where appropriate adult involvement is required. If you believe a child has provided personal information to BPS inappropriately, contact us.
15. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy when our services, technology or legal obligations change.
The current version will be published on this page with an updated effective date. Where a change materially affects how we use existing personal information, we will take reasonable steps to bring the change to the attention of affected users where required.
16. Contact
For privacy questions or requests:
The Burnt Protea Society
Operated by Robert Brett Mackay Suverkrop, trading as The Burnt Protea Society
Business correspondence address: 39 Redbud Road, Tonbridge, TN9 1FX
Email: theburntproteasociety@gmail.com
Website: burntproteasociety.com