Privacy and Cookies Policy
Last updated: June 2026
We want to be clear and honest about how we use your personal information. This policy explains what we collect, why, and what you can do about it.
SS Great Britain Trust is a registered charity (No. 262158) and company limited by guarantee (No. 01000878). We are the data controller for the information you provide to us.
Our Data Protection Lead is the Director of People & Development. Contact: hello@bristoldockyards.org | Brunel's SS Great Britain, Gas Ferry Road, Bristol, BS1 6TY
What information we collect and why
We collect personal information in the following situations:
Buying tickets or visiting us
We collect your name, email address, and home address (for billing and Gift Aid purposes) when you book tickets through our website. We collect your phone number, which we may in rare cases use for any issues with your booking. We do not use your phone number for any marketing purposes. For annual passes, we collect the full name of each named visitor to enable returns. This is necessary to fulfil your booking.
Shopping with us
Our online retail store is run on Shopify. We collect the information needed to process your order and arrange delivery (name, address, email, payment details). Payment is processed securely through Shopify Payments.
Signing up to our newsletter
If you opt in, we'll send you news, events, and offers by email via DotDigital, our email marketing platform. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email.
Annual pass holders may still receive essential communications (such as expiry reminders) even if not opted in to marketing.
Making a donation or supporting us
We use Beacon CRM to manage our relationships with donors, members, and supporters. Donations may be processed through Beacon, and direct debits are handled via GoCardless.
We may also research publicly available information about individuals who have expressed an interest in supporting us — for example, to understand how best to engage with potential major donors. Sources may include news archives, Companies House, the Charity Commission, and similar public records. We conduct due diligence on significant donations to ensure compliance with our legal and ethical obligations. You can object to this research (see Your Rights below), though in some cases legal obligations may mean we need to proceed regardless.
Participating in Go Aloft
If you choose to take part in our Go Aloft rig climbing experience, we will ask you to complete a disclaimer form via JotForm before you climb. This form collects information about any relevant medical conditions and medication so that we can administer appropriate first aid and, if necessary, provide accurate information to paramedics in an emergency. This information is used solely for your safety and is not shared for any other purpose.
Getting in touch
When you contact us by email, phone, or through a website form, we'll use your details to respond to your enquiry.
Using our website
We use Google Analytics 4 (via Google Tag Manager) with Google Consent Mode enabled. This means basic, anonymous traffic data may be collected even before you accept cookies. We also use Facebook Pixel for anonymous behaviour tracking. You can manage your preferences at any time via our cookie banner. We use PostHog for product analytics within our online booking journey. When you book tickets, PostHog records interactions with the booking process (such as steps completed, errors encountered, and payment outcomes) and may associate this data with your name and email address to help us understand and improve the booking experience. This data is stored securely by PostHog and is not used for marketing purposes.
School visits
We collect the name of the school and the name of the lead teacher or booking contact. We do not collect any personal data from pupils.
Accessing the collections in the Brunel Institute
When you visit the Brunel Institute to use our library and museum collections as a researcher, we collect personal information such as your name, email address, home address and phone number. We also collect this information if you take photographs of items in our collection during your research visit, or if you make a request online for photographs or digitised transcriptions of items in our museum collection.
This is so that we can give you access to our library and collections while following collections security and copyright requirements. The information is held securely in our collections management system Axiell.
Our systems and partners
We work with trusted third-party services to deliver our operations. They only use your data for the purposes we've described, and are not permitted to use it for their own marketing.
Vennersys
Ticketing and booking management
Dojo
On-site and online payment processing
Shopify Payments
Online retail payment processing
GoCardless
Direct debit processing
DotDigital
Email marketing and newsletters
Beacon CRM
Member and supporter management
JotForm
Go Aloft disclaimer forms, including health and medical information
CookieYes
Cookie consent management
GA4 & GTM
Anonymous website analytics
Facebook Pixel
Anonymous behaviour tracking
Royal Mail & Evri
Retail order delivery
Facebook Pixel
Anonymous behaviour tracking
PostHog
Booking journey analytics and session analysis
We may also share your information with authorities when required by law.
Cookies
Cookies are small files stored on your device that help our website work properly and understand how it's being used. We use four types:
- Essential – Required for the site to function (e.g. remembering your basket)
- Analytics – Help us understand how visitors use the site (e.g. Google Analytics)
- Functional – Remember your preferences to improve your experience
- Advertising – Used to deliver relevant marketing via third-party platforms
You can accept, reject, or customise your preferences at any time using our cookie banner (powered by CookieYes). Note that blocking certain cookies may affect how some parts of the site work.
CCTV and photography
We operate CCTV on and around our premises for visitor and staff safety, crime prevention and detection, incident investigation, and for legal and insurance purposes. Footage is typically retained for 30 days before automatic deletion, unless an investigation or legal matter requires it to be kept longer.
During visits and experiences, we may capture photos or video for promotional use. We will not take or use images of children without the express written permission of their parent or guardian.
Job applications
If you apply for a role with us, we will only collect the information that is necessary to process and assess your application. If you are unsuccessful in your application your data will not be used for any other purpose. Full details of our Recruitment Privacy Notice are available here.
How long we keep your information
We keep your personal data for as long as necessary to provide our services, meet legal obligations (for example, HMRC record-keeping requirements), or as outlined above. If you'd like to know more about retention for a specific type of data, please contact us.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete
- Delete your information (in certain circumstances)
- Restrict how we use your information
- Object to us processing your information, including for marketing or supporter research
- Data portability – receive your data in a usable format
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@bristoldockyards.org.
If you have a concern about how we've handled your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO): ico.org.uk/concerns | Tel: 0303 123 1113
Opting out of Google Analytics:
We may securely share website analytics and marketing data with Google and Facebook.
You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Browser Opt-out Browser Add-on (https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout).
We may also allow Google to collect your website usage data, such as what web pages are viewed, without the use of cookies. Google provides more information about this service and how you can update your privacy and advertising preferences with them here https://support.google.com/policies/answer/9581826).
Changes to this policy
We'll post any updates to this policy on this page. If changes are significant, we'll let you know by email where we're able to.