This privacy policy explains how GCCF Training (gccftraining.org) collects, uses, and protects your personal data. GCCF Training is an online training and assessment platform operated by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF). This policy was last updated in March 2026.
If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at admin@gccftraining.org.
Who We Are
The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) is a not-for-profit limited company. Our registered address is:
5 Kings Castle Business Park
The Drove
Bridgwater
Somerset
TA6 4AG
Telephone: 01278 427575
Email: info@gccfcats.org
Main website: www.gccfcats.org
The GCCF acts as the data controller for all personal data processed through the GCCF Training website at www.gccftraining.org. This policy covers data processing activities specific to this training platform. For the GCCF’s main privacy policy, which covers registrations, cat shows, memberships and other GCCF services, please see www.gccfcats.org/privacy-policy/.
What Data We Collect and Why
Website Visitors
When you visit our website, standard server logs may record your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and the date and time of your visit. This data is used solely for security monitoring and performance analysis and is not used to identify individual visitors.
Account Registration and Online Assessments
If you register for an account on this website and complete online assessments, we collect your name, email address, and assessment results. Your assessment results are shared with your relevant GCCF judging panel group (JPG) as part of the GCCF’s judging qualification process. The lawful basis for this processing is the performance of GCCF’s organisational functions and, where relevant, your consent at the point of registration.
Contact Forms and Enquiries
If you contact us via a form on this website, we collect your name, email address, and the content of your message. We use this information solely to respond to your enquiry. We do not add you to any mailing list without your explicit consent.
Steward, Judge and Volunteer Directories
The GCCF maintains records of judges, stewards, show managers, show officials and vets who organise and participate in GCCF-licensed cat shows. This training platform extends that function by operating public directories that allow show managers and judges to find available volunteers for GCCF events.
What data we collect: When you submit a directory registration form, we collect your name, email address, phone number, and postcode district (the first part of your postcode only, e.g. PO15 or SW1).
What we publish: If you give consent, your name, email address, phone number, and postcode district will be published publicly on the relevant directory page. This information is visible to anyone visiting the website — no login is required to search the directory. Your full postcode is never published and is used only internally to power the distance search feature.
Lawful basis: We process and publish this data on the basis of your freely given, explicit, informed consent (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(a)). The consent checkbox on each registration form clearly states what data will be published and who will be able to see it. You may also withdraw consent at any time (see below).
How long we retain your data: Your listing remains published for as long as you wish to be included. Your original form submission is retained for as long as necessary for our administrative records.
Withdrawing consent and requesting removal: You may withdraw your consent and have your listing removed at any time by emailing admin@gccftraining.org. We will remove your details promptly. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
Cookies
Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — for the following purposes:
Essential cookies: These are required for the website to function correctly. If you have a registered account, cookies are used to manage your login session. Login cookies last for two days; if you select “Remember Me”, your session will persist for two weeks. These cookies cannot be disabled without affecting core site functionality.
Analytics and performance cookies: We may use cookies to understand how visitors use our website in order to improve it. Where non-essential cookies are used, you will be asked for your consent via our cookie banner before they are set.
Third-party cookies: Some pages include embedded content or tools from third-party services, such as Google Maps for location-based directory searches. These third parties may set their own cookies. We do not control these cookies — please refer to the privacy policies of the relevant third parties. Google’s privacy policy is available at https://policies.google.com/privacy.
Google reCAPTCHA
Some of our forms use Google reCAPTCHA to protect against spam and automated submissions. reCAPTCHA collects hardware and software information and sends it to Google for analysis. Use of reCAPTCHA is subject to Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
Who We Share Your Data With
We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We share your data only in the following circumstances:
GCCF panels and committees: Assessment results are shared with the relevant GCCF judging panel group (JPG) as part of the judging qualification process.
Directory listings: If you have consented to be listed in a public directory, your name, email address, phone number, and postcode district are visible publicly on this website as described above.
GCCF central administration: As this platform is operated by the GCCF, relevant data may be shared with GCCF central administration as required for the administration of GCCF functions, in accordance with the GCCF’s main privacy policy.
Service providers: We use trusted third-party services to operate this website, including our web hosting provider and email delivery service. These providers process data only on our behalf and are bound by data processing agreements.
Legal obligations: We may disclose your data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests from public authorities.
How Long We Retain Your Data
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law:
Account and assessment data is retained for as long as your account is active and for a reasonable period thereafter. Directory listing data is retained until you request removal. Contact form submissions are retained for a reasonable period to allow us to respond and maintain records of communications.
Your Rights Under UK GDPR
Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights:
Right of access: You can request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data. We will correct it as soon as possible.
Right to erasure: You can ask us to delete your personal data where there is no legal basis or compelling reason for it to be processed any longer.
Right to restrict processing: You can ask us to pause processing of your data in certain circumstances, such as when you contest the accuracy of the data.
Right to data portability: You can request that we provide your personal data in a portable format so you can obtain and reuse it for your own purposes across different services or organisations, where this is technically viable.
Right to object: You can object to the processing of your personal data where it is not being processed with the legal basis of legitimate interests, or where it is used for direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time. This does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us by email at admin@gccftraining.org, by post to the address above, or by telephone on 01278 427575. We will respond at the earliest opportunity and within 30 days for complex requests.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe we have not handled your data lawfully. The ICO can be contacted at https://ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
Third-Party Links
Our website may include links to third-party websites, plug-ins and applications. Clicking on those links may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy statements. When you leave our website, we encourage you to read the privacy notice of every website you visit.
Data Security
We take the security of your personal data seriously. Our website uses HTTPS encryption for all data transmission. Access to personal data is restricted to authorised administrators only. We use technical and organisational measures appropriate to the sensitivity of the data we hold. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in applicable law. The date at the top of this page will always show when the policy was last updated. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:
By email: admin@gccftraining.org
By post: GCCF, 5 Kings Castle Business Park, The Drove, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4AG
By telephone: 01278 427575
