Privacy Notice
Last updated: 6 September 2026
Gnarwhal Skate School respects the privacy of the children, families and other individuals who use our services.
This Privacy Notice explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, who we may share it with, how long we keep it and the rights you have over your information.
1. Who we are
Gnarwhal Skate School provides skateboarding coaching, clubs, camps, private lessons, workshops and community activities.
For data-protection purposes, Gnarwhal Skate School is responsible for deciding how and why personal information collected through our services is used.
Questions about this Privacy Notice or the way we handle personal information can be sent to:
Gnarwhal Skate School
Ricky Tunbridge
Email: info@gnarwhalskateschool.com
Website: gnarwhalskateschool.com
2. Information we collect
Depending on the service being used, we may collect information including:
parent or guardian name;
child’s name and age;
email address and telephone number;
emergency contact details;
booking and attendance information;
payment and transaction information;
skateboarding experience or ability;
information about additional or support needs;
relevant medical information, health conditions, allergies or injuries;
medication information where relevant;
accident or incident information;
photography and video consent preferences;
photographs or video where appropriate consent has been provided;
correspondence with us, including relevant emails or messages; and
marketing preferences.
We only aim to collect information that is reasonably necessary to provide and safely manage our services.
3. Why we use personal information
We may use personal information to:
manage enquiries and bookings;
provide skateboarding coaching and related services;
communicate with parents and guardians about bookings or sessions;
maintain attendance and participant records;
manage payments and financial records;
provide appropriate support to individual participants;
protect the health, safety and welfare of participants;
respond appropriately to accidents, medical incidents and emergencies;
meet safeguarding responsibilities;
manage complaints or concerns;
maintain appropriate business and legal records;
manage photography and media preferences; and
send Gnarwhal news and marketing where appropriate permission has been given.
4. Our lawful bases
UK data-protection law requires us to have a lawful reason for using personal information.
Depending on the circumstances, Gnarwhal may process information because:
Contract — it is necessary to take steps towards or provide a service that has been requested or booked.
Legal obligation — we need to use or retain information to comply with a legal requirement.
Legitimate interests — it is reasonably necessary for the safe and effective operation of Gnarwhal Skate School, provided those interests are not overridden by the rights and interests of the individual, particularly where children are involved.
Consent — where we specifically ask for permission, such as certain uses of photography, video or direct marketing.
The appropriate lawful basis depends on what information is being used and why.
5. Children’s information
Much of Gnarwhal’s work involves children, so we recognise that children’s personal information requires particular care.
We aim to collect only the information reasonably necessary to provide our services safely and appropriately.
Information supplied by parents or guardians about a child will be used only for relevant Gnarwhal purposes and will not be used for unrelated marketing or commercial purposes.
Where appropriate, children’s own rights and interests will also be taken into account when their information is used.
6. Medical and health information
Information about a person’s health is considered special-category personal data under UK data-protection law and receives additional protection.
Gnarwhal may need to process relevant medical information so that we can safely support participants, respond to medical needs and emergencies, and make reasonable decisions about participation and adjustments.
We will only collect medical or health information that is reasonably necessary for these purposes.
Where required by law, Gnarwhal will identify both an appropriate lawful basis under Article 6 of the UK GDPR and an additional condition for processing special-category information under Article 9.
Medical information will not be used for marketing.
7. Who has access to information
Access to personal information is limited to people who reasonably need it.
The lead Gnarwhal coach may have access to participant and booking information necessary to manage Gnarwhal’s services.
Other coaches, assistants or people working on behalf of Gnarwhal may be given relevant information where they need it to safely perform their role.
For example, a coach supervising a child may need to know about a relevant allergy, medical condition or support requirement. They would not need access to Gnarwhal’s entire customer database.
Gnarwhal aims to apply particular care and appropriate access controls to medical, safeguarding and other sensitive information.
8. Organisations and services we use
Gnarwhal uses third-party services to help operate the business. These may include services used for:
email and communication;
online forms;
document and spreadsheet storage;
website hosting;
mailing-list management;
payment or financial administration; and
other business administration.
This currently includes services such as Google and Kit where relevant to the service being provided.
These organisations may process personal information on Gnarwhal’s behalf under their own applicable data-protection arrangements.
We may also share relevant information with a venue, school, organisation, medical professional, emergency service or safeguarding authority where this is reasonably necessary or legally required.
We do not sell personal information to third parties.
9. International processing
Some technology providers used by Gnarwhal may process or store information outside the United Kingdom.
Where personal information is transferred internationally, Gnarwhal will rely on the protections and safeguards required by applicable UK data-protection law.
10. How long we keep information
We do not aim to keep personal information indefinitely.
How long information is retained depends on why it was collected and whether there is a continuing business, safeguarding, insurance, tax or legal reason for keeping it.
As a general approach:
Booking and financial records will be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to meet business, accounting, tax and legal requirements.
Current participant and medical/support information will be kept while it remains reasonably necessary to safely provide Gnarwhal services and will be reviewed when the participant is no longer actively attending.
Accident, incident and safeguarding records may need to be retained for longer where appropriate because of the nature of the record, the age of the participant or legal, insurance or safeguarding considerations.
General enquiries will normally be deleted when they are no longer reasonably required and will generally be reviewed after 12 months of inactivity.
Marketing information will normally be retained while someone remains subscribed or until it is no longer reasonably necessary. A record may be retained where necessary to ensure that an unsubscribe request continues to be respected.
Information that no longer needs to be retained will be deleted or anonymised where reasonably practicable.
ICO guidance requires organisations to specify retention periods or explain the criteria used to determine them rather than simply keeping information indefinitely.
11. Photography and video
Promotional photography and video involving identifiable children is managed separately from general booking Terms & Conditions.
Parents or guardians will be given a clear choice about whether photographs or video featuring their child may be used to promote Gnarwhal.
Where permission has been provided, images may be used on Gnarwhal’s website, social-media channels or other Gnarwhal promotional materials.
We will not normally publish a child’s full name alongside an identifiable promotional image.
Consent can be withdrawn for future use by contacting Gnarwhal. Withdrawal will not necessarily make it possible to retrieve material that has already been printed, distributed or otherwise used before consent was withdrawn.
12. Email marketing
Booking a Gnarwhal session does not automatically mean someone will be added to our marketing mailing list.
Where we rely on consent for marketing, people are asked to actively opt in.
Marketing subscribers may receive information about Gnarwhal sessions, camps, events, projects and other relevant Gnarwhal news.
Subscribers can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe option included in marketing emails or by contacting Gnarwhal.
You have the right to object to your personal information being used for direct marketing at any time.
The ICO confirms that the right to object to direct marketing is absolute.
13. Keeping information secure
Gnarwhal takes reasonable steps to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.
This includes limiting access to people who genuinely need information and taking additional care with medical, safeguarding and other sensitive records.
Where third-party technology services are used, appropriate account and security controls will be used wherever reasonably available.
14. Your data-protection rights
Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis being used, individuals may have rights including:
the right to be informed about how their information is used;
the right to request access to their personal information;
the right to have inaccurate information corrected;
the right to request deletion in certain circumstances;
the right to request restriction of processing in certain circumstances;
the right to object to certain uses of their information;
the right to data portability in certain circumstances; and
the right to withdraw consent where consent is the basis for processing.
These rights do not all apply in every circumstance.
To make a request concerning personal information held by Gnarwhal, contact:
15. Data-protection complaints
If you are concerned about the way Gnarwhal has collected, used, stored or shared personal information, please contact us in the first instance:
We will consider the concern and respond appropriately.
You also have the right to raise a complaint with the UK’s data-protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Information Commissioner’s Office
Current ICO guidance specifically requires organisations to have a process for dealing with data-protection complaints.
16. Changes to this Privacy Notice
We may update this Privacy Notice where Gnarwhal’s services, systems or legal obligations change.
The latest version will be published on the Gnarwhal Skate School website with the date it was last updated.