Policies

Privacy, Cookies, Safeguarding & Environmental Policies

Privacy

At The Golden Thread Gallery, we are committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of visitors to our web site, subscribers to our newsletter and participants from our workshops who we communicate with from time to time. Here you’ll find information on how we treat data that we collect from visitors to our website, or when someone subscribes to our newsletter.

Visitors to Our Website

When someone visits https://goldenthreadgallery.co.uk/, we use a third-party service, Google Analytics, to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. We do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is only processed in a way which does not identify anyone. We do not make, and do not allow Google to make, any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our website. You can find more information on how cookies are used on this website in the Cookies Policy below.

If we do want to collect personally identifiable information through our website, we will be up front about this. We will make it clear when we collect personal information and will explain what we intend to do with it.

Newsletter Sign-Up

As part of the registration process for our monthly e-newsletter, we collect personal information. We use that information for a couple of reasons: to tell you about details you’ve asked us to tell you about; to contact you if we need to obtain or provide additional information; to check our records are right and to check every now and then that you’re happy and satisfied. We don’t rent or trade email lists with other organisations and businesses.

We use a third party provider, Mailchimp, to deliver our newsletter. We gather statistics around email opening and clicks using industry standard technologies to help us monitor and improve our e-newsletter. For more information, please see Mailchimp’s privacy notice.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any of our emails or through this link.

You can also email us at info@gtgallery.co.uk to unsubscribe at any time.

Workshop Participants

We ask workshop participants to book their places via Art Tickets, a free service managed by Art Fund. We will also occasionally email previous workshop recipients regarding new events and workshops happening in the gallery that they may be interested in. You can choose to opt out of receiving these emails at any time by emailing us at info@gtgallery.co.uk.

Links to Other Websites

This privacy notice does not cover the links within this site linking to other websites. Those sites are not governed by this Privacy Policy, and if you have questions about how a site uses your information, you’ll need to check that site’s privacy statement.

Access to Your Personal Information

You are entitled to access the personal information that we hold. You are also entitled to ask for us to dispose of this information or ask us to transfer this information to another organisation should you wish us to do so. To request access to your information, please email us at info@gtgallery.co.uk and title your email ‘Request for Data Information’. You are free to do this at any time.

Contact Information

For more information regarding our data protection policies or to request access to the personal information we hold on you feel free to contact our data controller Peter Richards or our data handlers Liz Byrne or Jen Alexander at info@gtgallery.co.uk. We are always happy to answer any questions and queries regarding our data protection policies in line with GDPR regulations.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We keep our Privacy Policy under regular review. This Privacy Policy was last updated on 5th August 2024.

Cookies

We use a system of classifying the different types of cookies which we use on the Website, or which may be used by third parties through our websites. The classification was developed by the International Chamber of Commerce UK and explains more about which cookies we use, why we use them, and the functionality you will lose if you decide you don’t want to have them on your device.

What is a cookie?

Cookies are text files containing small amounts of information which are downloaded to your personal computer, mobile or other device when you visit a website. Cookies are then sent back to the originating website on each subsequent visit, or to another website that recognises that cookie. Cookies are useful because they allow a website to recognise a user’s device.

How long are cookies stored for?

• Persistent Cookies — these cookies remain on a user’s device for the period of time specified in the cookie. They are activated each time that the user visits the website that created that particular cookie.
• Session Cookies — these cookies allow website operators to link the actions of a user during a browser session. A browser session starts when a user opens the browser window and finishes when they close the browser window. Session cookies are created temporarily. Once you close the browser, all session cookies are deleted.

Cookies do lots of different jobs, like letting you navigate between pages efficiently, remembering your preferences, and generally improve the user experience.

You can find more information about cookies at https://allaboutcookies.org/ and https://youronlinechoices.eu/.

Cookies used on this Website

Strictly Necessary

These cookies enable services you have specifically asked for. These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features, such as accessing secure areas of the website.

Performance

These cookies collect anonymous information on the pages visited. By using the website, you agree that we can place these types of cookies on your device.

These cookies collect information about how visitors use the website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often, and if they get error messages from web pages. These cookies don’t collect information that identifies a visitor. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. It is only used to improve how the website works.

Functionality

These cookies remember choices you make to improve your experience. By using the website, you agree that we can place these types of cookies on your device.

These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personal features. These cookies can also be used to remember changes you have made to text size, fonts and other parts of web pages that you can customise. They may also be used to provide services you have asked for such as watching a video or commenting on a blog. The information these cookies collect may be anonymised and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.

Third-Party

These cookies allow third parties to track the success of their application or customise the application for you. Because of how cookies work we cannot access these cookies, nor can the third parties access the data in cookies used on our site.

For example, if you choose to ‘share’ content through Twitter or other social networks you might be sent cookies from these websites. We don’t control the setting of these cookies, so please check those websites for more information about their cookies and how to manage them.

Safeguarding

The Board and staff at Golden Thread Gallery are committed to providing enjoyable, safe environments for all children and adults visiting the gallery. We acknowledge our responsibility to take all reasonable steps to promote safe practice and to protect children and adults at risk from harm, abuse and exploitation. Our safeguarding practice and policy reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and best practice. It is reviewed and updated, if necessary, at least every three years. Our staff and volunteers undertake regular training in best practice and statutory compliance. To request a full copy of our policy, please email info@gtgallery.co.uk 

Environmental

Vision

The Golden Thread Gallery is committed, as far as practically is possible, to protect the environment and exemplify sustainable business practices in the course of carrying out our operations and programme of activities. The Gallery is aware of the critical importance of protecting our environment for future generations and ensuring the gallery is resilient in the face of climate change, and we will work alongside our funders and stakeholders to do this. We communicate our commitment to the environment clearly, and explore how creativity and culture can play a vital role in this. We’ll work collectively with other organisations in the sector whenever possible to improve practices, reduce waste, think long-term sustainability and make our commitment to protecting our planet visible and effective. In the redevelopment of our new venue on Queen Street, we’ll work with the architect and builders to harness sustainable practice, design and materials wherever possible.

Actions

Our key action in the last 12 months has been to make explicit climate action an organisational goal, sharing our environmental pledge and policy on our website as a main page. We’ve connected with the international Artists for Climate movement, and use themed environmental workshops and issues of our newsletter for young people to raise awareness and show how the creativity and imagination of art is a tool for imagining alternative futures that reduce climate harm. All our workshop activities emphasise reducing waste, reusing materials and avoid using harmful or single-use items wherever possible. We’re working towards getting our Green Check from Green Tourism to help us become even more sustainable and environmentally friendly in running the gallery.

We appointed Katharine Paisley as environmental champion for the gallery, to lead on making us more sustainable; installed recycling bins in our offices; switched to eco-efficient printing paper; banned the use of glitter in the gallery; use only compostable cups for visitor tea/coffee; explore environmental art practices and ideas with themes including ‘Oceans’ and ‘Animals’ in our Junior Gallery output; and avoid single-use plastics wherever possible.

These actions are all part of our strong commitment to good environmental practice and commitment to protecting our planet.

Commitment

Although we operate within significant budgetary constraints, as a publicly funded organisation, as far as is reasonably practical we will strive to protect the environment by:

• Complying with environmental legislation.
• Reducing waste and carbon emissions wherever possible e.g., recycling / reusing materials.
• Identifying opportunities for protecting and improving the environment.
• Leading by example to make groups working with the gallery more environmentally aware.
• As far as possible, managing our programme of activities to reduce negative effects on the environment.
• Using eco-friendly and sustainable products whenever possible, practical and within budgetary constraints, e.g., compostable coffee cups.
• Using eco-friendly and sustainable services whenever possible, practical and within budgetary constraints.
• Being committed to considering the costs and benefits of environmentally friendly alternatives when purchasing items.
• Making this policy statement available to all staff members, Board members, interns and volunteers at the gallery.
• Making this policy statement freely available to gallery visitors and any other members of the public who wish to see it.
• Monitoring and reviewing gallery policies and procedures at regular intervals to ensure that where possible negative impact to the environment is reduced.
• Encouraging communication on environmental issues and concerns between the gallery, its employees, Board, stakeholders and the community.

This updated statement was adopted by the Board of Directors of the Golden Thread Gallery on 4th October 2023.