Our Privacy & Data Protection Promise

At Heart Space, trust and transparency aren’t just policies; they are the bedrock of our mental health and personal development community for men. We understand the profound sensitivity of your journey, especially concerning gambling addiction recovery and men’s mental health in the UK. This document outlines our unwavering commitment to protecting your data with the utmost care and respect.

What Personal Information We Collect and Why

To create a safe, functional, and supportive environment, we collect information you choose to provide and data generated through your use of the service. This includes sensitive information related to your wellbeing and recovery, which we treat with the highest level of protection.

Information You Provide Directly

This is the information you knowingly share with us to participate in the community. It includes:

  • Account details (e.g., name, email address) upon sign-up.
  • Content you create, such as community forum posts, journal entries (if applicable), and direct messages.
  • Information shared when you contact our support team or participate in surveys.

Information Collected Automatically

As you navigate the site, we collect technical and usage data. This includes:

  • Device information (e.g., browser type, IP address).
  • Log data and details of your interactions with the site (e.g., pages visited, features used).
  • This helps us maintain security, diagnose issues, and understand how the community is used.

Special Category Data

In the context of our community focused on mental health and behavioural addiction recovery, the content you share may inherently reveal sensitive personal data about your health, beliefs, or personal experiences. By choosing to share this information within the community, you consent to its processing as necessary to provide this specialised support service, in strict compliance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Our Use of Cookies and Similar Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to make the site work, enhance your experience, and help us improve our resources.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They are widely used to remember you and your preferences.

How We Use Them

  • Essential: Required for core functions like logging in and site security.
  • Functional: Remember your preferences (e.g., language settings).
  • Analytics: Tools like Google Analytics and Hotjar help us understand aggregated user behaviour (e.g., which articles on men’s support are most engaging) to improve site design and content. This data is anonymised wherever possible.

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You can manage or disable non-essential cookies through your browser settings. A cookie preference centre is also available when you first visit our site, allowing you to control your consent.

How We Use Analytics Data

Our use of analytics is solely aimed at enhancing the support we offer.

Purpose of Analytics

We analyse anonymised data to see which resources—such as content from The Naked Professor or discussions on behavioural addiction recovery—are most helpful. This guides our editorial focus and helps us develop better tools for the community.

Anonymisation Practices

We configure our analytics tools to anonymise IP addresses and avoid collecting personally identifiable information. Reports focus on trends, not individual behaviour.

Third-Party Services We Work With

We partner with trusted, specialist providers to deliver our service. All are carefully vetted for compliance with UK data protection laws.

Operational Partners

  • Hosting Provider: Our site data is hosted securely within the European Economic Area (EEA).
  • Email Service: We use services like Mailchimp for community updates, subject to their robust security standards.
  • Payment Processor: For any paid services, we use Stripe, a leading provider that handles your financial data directly; we do not store full payment card details.

Integrated Tools

Our community platform software and other integrated tools are selected with data privacy as a primary concern, ensuring they operate under strict data processing agreements as required by the UK GDPR.

Your Data Protection Rights (UK GDPR)

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have clear rights regarding your personal data.

Summary of Your Rights

You have the right to:

  1. Access: Request copies of your personal data.
  2. Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
  3. Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances.
  4. Restriction: Request limiting the processing of your data.
  5. Data Portability: Request transfer of your data to another service.
  6. Objection: Object to our processing of your data based on legitimate interests.
  7. Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.
  8. Rights related to automated decision-making.

How to Exercise Them

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in the ‘Contact Us’ section below. We will respond within one month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK’s supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain your information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy or to meet our legal obligations.

Retention Principles

Retention periods are determined by the nature of the data and the reason for its collection. For example, account data is maintained while your account is active. Financial records are kept for legally mandated periods.

Deletion Procedures

When the retention period expires or you request erasure, your data is securely and permanently deleted from our active systems and, where applicable, from our backups in a timely manner.

Contact Us About Your Privacy

Your privacy concerns are important to us. We are here to help.

Primary Contact

For all data protection requests, including Subject Access Requests, please contact our dedicated privacy lead at: [email protected]. Please use “Privacy Request” in your subject line to help us respond promptly.

Making a Complaint

We strive to resolve any concerns directly. However, you have the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at any time. We would appreciate the chance to address your concerns first.

Protecting your privacy is an integral and ongoing part of our mission. As the Heart Space community grows, our commitment to safeguarding your trust and your data remains steadfast, supporting a secure environment for recovery and personal development.