Privacy Policy

RealCounties.com is operated by the Historic Counties Institute. We respect your privacy and are
committed to protecting personal data. This policy explains what we collect, how we use it, and your rights
under UK data protection law.

1. Information we collect

We collect and process limited personal data, including:

• Contact information if you email us or complete a contact form.
• Subscription information if you sign up to our email list.
• Technical data such as IP address, browser type, and pages visited, collected through cookies and analytics tools.
• Transaction-related information if you choose to make a donation or purchase, handled through third-party payment providers.
• Data collected through embedded services such as video, social media, or maps where relevant.

We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal data or personal data from children.

2. How we use your information

We use personal data to:

• Respond to enquiries.
• Send email updates where you have asked to join our mailing list.
• Improve the website’s performance and content.
• Monitor visitor statistics through Jetpack and WordPress.com tools.
• Process support-related actions such as donations, subscriptions, or purchases through third-party providers.
• Maintain website security.

We do not sell or rent personal information.

3. Email list and newsletters

If you subscribe to our email list, we will use the details you provide to send site updates, articles,
county-reference material, public-education and campaigning updates, announcements, and related information
about RealCounties.com and the Historic Counties Institute.

We use MailPoet to manage email subscriptions and email delivery on the site. If you sign up, your
subscription data will be stored and processed for that purpose.

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link included in our emails or by contacting us directly.

4. Cookies and analytics

This website uses cookies to:

• Measure site usage and performance.
• Remember preferences.
• Display embedded media such as YouTube videos or social posts.

You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings.

For more information, see Automattic’s Privacy Policy
for details on how Jetpack processes data.

5. Donations, payments, and purchases

If you choose to support our work financially, payment details are processed by third-party payment
providers such as Stripe rather than by us directly.

We do not store full payment card details on RealCounties.com. Any payment information you provide is
handled in accordance with the relevant provider’s own privacy and security practices.

6. Lawful basis for processing

We process personal data on the following bases:

• Consent, for email subscriptions, analytics cookies, or when you contact us directly.
• Legitimate interest, to operate, secure, and improve the website.
• Contract or pre-contract steps where you make a donation, purchase, or other transaction through the site.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected.

Emails and contact-form messages are typically deleted within twelve months.

Newsletter subscription data is retained for as long as you remain subscribed, unless a longer period is required for record-keeping or security.

8. Sharing your data

We may share limited technical data with:

• Automattic Inc. for hosting and analytics via Jetpack and WordPress.com.
• MailPoet for newsletter subscription and email delivery.
• Stripe and other service providers who process payments, donations, or purchases.
• Service providers who help us manage or secure the site.

We do not share personal data with advertisers or unrelated third parties.

9. Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request correction or deletion of your data.
• Withdraw consent where processing depends on consent.

To exercise these rights, contact us at team@realcounties.com.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version will always appear on this page.

11. Contact us

If you have any questions about this policy or how your data is handled, contact:

team@realcounties.com

Historic Counties Institute, United Kingdom