Diocese Policy
Last updated 1 June 2026
The Diocese of Arundel and Brighton (the "Diocese") is a charity registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales. Charity number: 252878. Registered address: The St. Philip Howard Centre, 4 Southgate Drive, Crawley, RH10 6RP.
References to 'we' and 'us' mean the Diocese.
When you provide us with personal data in order to engage with us or benefit from our activities, we will keep a record of the data you give to us in order to comply with our statutory obligations and to achieve our charitable objects of advancing and maintaining the Roman Catholic religion.
For the purpose of the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR), the Diocese through its Trustees will be a Data Controller in respect of your personal data. Please be aware that our parishes form part of the Diocese and are not separate legal entities. Parishes are not Data Controllers nor do they process personal data on behalf of the Diocese as a Data Processor.
The Diocese is committed to ensuring that personal data is properly and securely managed in accordance with applicable data protection laws. This Notice applies to information about living identifiable individuals only.
We may hold the following types of personal data:
We may also hold Special Categories of personal data, including information about religious beliefs, health and wellbeing, racial or ethnic origins, sexual orientation, or criminal records.
We may receive personal data about you from third parties, for example family members, other parishioners, other dioceses, medical professionals, or law enforcement.
We take all reports of abuse in the Diocese very seriously. If a report is made, we will handle it in accordance with our established safeguarding procedures. This may involve processing personal information about victims and survivors, alleged perpetrators and witnesses. Where necessary, we will share personal information with appointed investigators or assessors and with statutory authorities. We have prepared a separate privacy notice for victims and survivors. To make a report of abuse, please contact our Safeguarding Office at safeguarding@abdiocese.org.uk.
Personal data we hold may be processed in a number of ways, including:
Information gathered through cookies on the Diocesan or parish website is used to analyse visits and improve the website. We will not use this data to identify you personally or make decisions about you.
We must have a lawful basis for processing your information. Typical examples include:
Where we process Special Categories of personal data, we must have a further lawful basis, such as explicit consent, vital interests, your having made the information public, the establishment or defence of legal claims, or substantial public interest.
Where we process personal data comprising criminal convictions or offences, further bases apply, including safer recruitment obligations, prevention or detection of unlawful acts, safeguarding, or your explicit consent.
We will only use your personal data within the Diocese for the purposes for which it was obtained, unless you have explicitly agreed otherwise or we are permitted or required to by law.
We may share your information with:
We have administrative, technical and physical measures in place to guard against loss, misuse or unauthorised disclosure of personal data.
Where transfers outside the UK are necessary, we take steps to ensure compliance with GDPR and appropriate protection of your data.
Your information will be kept in accordance with our Retention & Disposal of Records Policy, available at www.abdiocese.org.uk. We will only keep personal data for as long as necessary and delete it when it is no longer required.
You have the following rights in respect of personal data we hold about you:
These rights may be limited in certain situations — for example, where we have a legal requirement to retain data. We may also ask for proof of identity before fulfilling a request.
Rights may only be exercised by the individual whose data is held, or with that individual's express permission. Children from around 12 years upwards may make their own requests where we reasonably consider they have an appropriate understanding of the request.
We may make changes to this notice from time to time as our practices or applicable laws change. We will not use your personal data in ways inconsistent with the original purpose(s) for which it was collected without notifying you in advance wherever possible.
If you have any questions, wish to exercise any of the above rights, or would like to make a complaint about the use of your information, please contact:
Data Protection Officer The St Philip Howard Centre 4 Southgate Drive Crawley RH10 6RP
Email: DPO@abdiocese.org.uk Telephone: 01293 651145
If you have unresolved concerns, you also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk).
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We may use the following cookies:
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For further information about cookies, visit allaboutcookies.org or youronlinechoices.eu. If you have questions, email itsupport@abdiocese.org.uk.
Data Controller — a person, organisation or body that determines the purposes and manner of processing personal data, and is responsible for complying with data protection laws.
Data Processor — a person, organisation or body that processes personal data on behalf of and on the instruction of the Diocese.
Data Subject — a living individual about whom personal data is processed and who can be identified from that data.
Personal Data — any information relating to a living individual who can be identified from it. Can be factual (name, address, date of birth) or an opinion (e.g. a performance appraisal).
Processing — any activity involving personal data: obtaining, recording, holding, organising, amending, retrieving, using, disclosing, erasing or destroying it. Includes transferring data to third parties.
Special Categories of Personal Data — information about racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, trade union membership, physical or mental health, sexuality, genetic data or biometric data. Can only be processed under strict conditions.
This policy is due for review by the end of October 2026.