How do we process and protect your data

Privacy policy

This policy describes how The UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) processes and protects your personal information. ASDC is the Data Controller for professionals within our membership, our wider network and individuals relevant to the STEM education, industry, research and policy sector. We may process your personal information if you take part in an ASDC event, project, work within our member organisations, network with our membership, subscribe to our newsletter, volunteer or work with ASDC.

We will never rent or sell your personal data for commercial purposes and will only ever disclose your data if we are required to do so by law. Other than processes required by the core function of our networking membership charity, we will only ever use your data for specific purposes with your consent.

About ASDC

The UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) brings together over 60 major science engagement organisations in the UK. Together we strive for a society where people of all ages and backgrounds have an opportunity to enjoy and explore science and can feel a sense of shared ownership and identity with the direction of science in the UK. 

Our vision: is of a society where people are intrigued, inspired and involved with the sciences.

Our mission: to bring together the ASDC membership to play a strategic role in the nation’s engagement with science.

Together our members make up the UK’s largest publicly accessible network dedicated to both informal science learning and family science engagement. Collectively they employ thousands of dedicated science engagement professionals and engage over 20 million people with the wonders of science.

Our membership includes:

ASDC Members are Science-based visitor attractions and National Partners and includes the following organisations: 

  • UK Science and Discovery Centres
  • National, regional and local museums
  • Learned societies and Research councils
  • Environmental centres and organisations
  • Not-for-profit national organisations with related aims and missions
  • Government Departments or University Departments with a national STEM remit

Associate Members: 

ASDC also welcomes enquiries from visionary public, charitable and commercial bodies who support inspirational science engagement activities to join our membership as an Associate Member.

Why does ASDC process data?

ASDC facilitates the sharing of knowledge, skills, ideas and best practice between thousands of professionals working in science engagement organisations across the UK. We provide a central point of advice, support and contact working nationally and connecting with Science and Discovery Centres across Europe and worldwide. Our mission is to bring together our membership to play a strategic role in the nation’s engagement with science and in order to fulfil this mission we need to process your personal information for a number of purposes.

What information do we hold about you?

Personal data is any data that identifies you as an individual. If you have been in touch with us before, perhaps through involvement at an event, taking part in a project, through general enquiries about an ongoing relationship with ASDC, providing consultancy, services, or through face-to-face meetings and exchanging business cards, we hold the personal data you have provided us on our secure database.

This personal information may include your name, email address, postal address of your place of work, telephone number, mobile number, affiliated organisations and job title. The amount of information will vary depending on the way in which ASDC is interacting with you.  

The way in which your information is processed depends on the method and purpose of your contact with ASDC. Please navigate the left-hand menu to explore what information is held by ASDC and how it is processed.

Keeping your information safe and up-to-date

Your data is held on a secure database with a trusted UK database provider who meets our high ethical standards and complies with ASDC data protection and information security requirements and procedures. We will not share your information with a third party or transfer information to a country or territory outside the EEA (European Economic Area) unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights, and freedoms of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data.  In the unlikely event that personal data needs to be transferred outside the EEA, your personal information will be anonymised.

We are committed to making sure we have the most current information for you. We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your personal data is accurate and up-to-date, and our membership data is reviewed annually. However, if it is the case that our records are out-of-date, please do let us know of your new circumstances and we will change your details on our system. Please contact us on info@sciencecentres.org.uk.

Your rights 

You always have the right to:

  • Access to a copy of the information we hold about you on our database.
  • Object to us processing your data if it is causing damage or distress.
  • Prevent us from marketing our events, newsletter or projects to you.
  • Object to any decisions that are made through automatic means.
  • Rectify inaccurate personal information, block, erase or destroy all your personal information
  • Claim compensation for any damages caused by a breach in Data protection regulation by ASDC. 

We are very happy to stay connected, so please get in touch with us. For any data protection queries such as changing or updating the information we hold about you, please directly contact the Deputy CEO and current data protection officer: Shaaron Leverment as the current data protection officer: shaaron.leverment@sciencecentres.org.uk

Or contact us by post

Suite 101

QC30, 30 Queen Charlotte Street, 

Bristol BS1 4HJ 

Reg. charity: 1129312  I  Company no: 6798106  I  ICO registration reference: ZA194904