Helderberg Chess Club Privacy Policy

Last updated 14 June 2025

Welcome to Helderberg Chess Club! This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information. We are committed to respecting your privacy and complying with South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

1. What Information We Collect

We collect only the information we need to run the club smoothly. This may include:

  • Parent or guardian’s name and contact details (email, phone)
  • Players name, age, sex, and CHESSA ID
  • Membership and event information
  • Payment details (processed via PayFast)
  • Website usage (e.g., comments, cookies, analytics)

2. Why We Collect This Information

We collect this information so we can:

  • Register members and manage subscriptions
  • Organise tournaments, leagues, and training
  • Communicate with parents and members
  • Improve our services and club operations

3. How We Store and Share Your Data

We do not sell or share your personal information with anyone outside the club unless it’s required by law or necessary for club operations (e.g., tournament registration).

We store your data securely using:

  • WordPress for managing member access and events
  • Google Drive for internal spreadsheets
  • Airtable for organised membership records
  • Mailerlite to send newsletters (unsubscribe anytime)

4. Payments and Subscriptions

Payments are handled via PayFast through Paid Memberships Pro on our website. We do not store credit card information ourselves. Payment data is securely processed by PayFast.

5. Children’s Privacy

We collect information about children under 18 only from parents or legal guardians during registration. This includes name, age, sex, and CHESSA-related info. We use this to manage teams, coaching, and events. We do not knowingly collect information directly from children.

6. How Long We Keep Your Information

We keep personal data for up to 5 years, or as long as needed to manage club activities, meet legal requirements, and keep accurate league records. After that, we securely delete or anonymize the data.

7. Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the right to:

  • Request access to the personal data we hold about you
  • Correct or update your information
  • Ask us to delete your data (where appropriate)
  • Withdraw consent at any time

To exercise these rights, please contact us at it@helderbergchess.co.za.

8. Cookies and Website Tools

Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. Cookies are small text files stored in your browser to help us remember preferences or understand how visitors use the site.

We also use:

  • Google Analytics to track site visits and improve user experience
  • Akismet to protect our site from spam comments
  • Mailerlite to manage our newsletters

9. Comments and Media

If you leave a comment, we collect the data you enter, your IP address, and your browser details to help prevent spam. If you upload images, please avoid including location data (EXIF GPS), as visitors can download and extract that data.

10. Updates to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will let you know about important changes by email or through our newsletter.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, contact us at:

Email: info@helderbergchess.co.za
Website: https://helderbergchess.co.za