Privacy Policy‍ ‍‍ ‍‍

This privacy policy explains how RedRose Genealogy, operated by Vicky Thompson (“we”, “us” or “our”), collects and uses personal data. If you have any questions about this policy or how your data is handled, you can contact RedRose Genealogy by email: vicky@redrosegenealogy.com.

Who we are

RedRose Genealogy is a sole trader business operated by Vicky Thompson, who is the data controller for the purposes of data protection law. Vicky Thompson is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), registration number ZC208029, and all data is used and stored in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR.

What information we collect

We may collect, store and use the following information:

  • Information provided by you for the purposes of contact and billing related to the research commission. This may include name, postal address, email address, phone number and payment details.

  • Information provided by you about yourself or relatives relevant to the research commission, and information collected during the course of the research.

  • Video recordings of consultations via the Microsoft Teams or Zoom platforms, where a recording has been requested by you.

  • We collect limited website usage data through analytics tools. This information is aggregated and does not identify you personally. It may include information about your visit such as pages visited, time on site, date of visit, and technical data such as browser information and operating system.

Internet cookies

Our website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience and to understand how the site is used. Cookies are small text files placed on your device. We use:

  • Essential cookies – required for the website to function

  • Analytics cookies – to understand how visitors use the site (e.g. pages visited, time spent)

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. For more information, please see Squarespace’s cookie policy.

How we use personal information

The personal information we collect is used for the following reasons:

  • To carry out the services of the business including but not limited to: correspondence, setting up consultations or meetings, carrying out a research commission and invoicing.

  • To provide existing clients with information about additional services or changes to our website.

  • On occasion, a redacted version of a client report may be used to support an application to a professional body such as AGRA (Association of Genealogists and Researchers). This will only occur with the explicit agreement from you.

  • Personal data is treated as confidential and will not be sold or shared for marketing purposes. It may be shared with trusted third-party service providers (such as secure cloud storage or communication platforms) where necessary to deliver our services. Some third-party services we use may store data outside the UK, where this occurs, appropriate safeguards will be in place. We may also disclose information where required by law.

  • Under UK GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), we rely on the following lawful bases for processing personal data:

    • Contractual obligation - to provide agreed services

    • Legal obligation - for example, to retain records for tax purposes

    • Legitimate interests - to operate and improve our services

    • Consent - where required (for example, recording consultations), which can be withdrawn at any time.

How we store personal information

All information, including emails, invoices, research reports and any other information generated as part of providing our services, will be securely stored by the business in password-protected files held in cloud-based storage. This information will be retained for a period of up to seven years for tax and legal purposes.

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data. However, the transmission of information over the internet is not completely secure, and while we take reasonable steps to safeguard data, we cannot guarantee the security of information sent to us electronically.

Your data protection rights

Under GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 you have a number of rights including:

  • Your right to be informed

  • Your right of access

  • Your right to rectification

  • Your right to erasure

  • Your right to restriction of processing

  • Your right to object to processing

  • Your right to data portability

  • Your right to withdraw consent

You can find further information about these rights on the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at vicky@redrosegenealogy.com.

Policy updates

Occasionally, it may be necessary to make changes to this privacy policy. Any changes made will take effect immediately, so please review it frequently. You can see when it was last updated at the bottom of this page.

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal data, you can make a complaint to us at vicky@redrosegenealogy.com. If you remain unhappy with how we’ve used your data after raising a complaint with us, you can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The ICO’s address:           

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

Website: https://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint

Last updated 01 May 2026