Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 23 October 2025
Governing Law: England and Wales

A note from us

We take your privacy seriously. We only collect what we need to run The Lonely Hearts Club to publish your ads, send your letters, and keep the paper ticking along. We’ll never sell your data, never share it without reason, and never spam your inbox.

1. Who We Are

The Lonely Hearts Club (“we”, “us”, “our”) is operated by Pierre Menard Ltd., registered in England and Wales under company number 13433395, with its registered office at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, England, WC2H 9JQ.

We are the data controller, responsible for the personal information collected and processed through our website, print services, and postal correspondence.

If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at:
hello@thelonelyheartsclub.co.uk

We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and pay the data protection fee annually, in compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. What Data We Collect

We collect and process only the data necessary to operate the publication and related services, including:

  • Name and contact details (for correspondence and reply forwarding)

  • Payment details (processed securely via Squarespace Payments)

  • Submission content (ads, letters, and related materials)

  • Communication records (emails, postal correspondence, or forms)

  • Technical data such as IP address, browser type, and usage information (via Squarespace Analytics)

We do not collect sensitive personal data unless you voluntarily include it in an ad or letter.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data to:

  • Process and publish advertisements, features, and submissions

  • Forward replies safely and anonymously by post

  • Manage subscriptions, payments, and fulfilment

  • Respond to enquiries and customer support requests

  • Send occasional editorial updates or newsletters (with consent)

  • Comply with legal or tax obligations

We never sell your data.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data under the following lawful bases (as defined by UK GDPR):

  • Contractual necessity: to publish your ad or forward replies.

  • Consent: for newsletter or email communications.

  • Legal obligation: to comply with accounting, recordkeeping, or regulatory requirements.

  • Legitimate interests: for business administration, fraud prevention, and maintaining service quality.

5. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We share data only with trusted service providers that support our operations, all of which comply with UK GDPR:

  • Google Workspace (Gmail): for email communication

  • Squarespace: for website hosting, forms, and analytics

  • Squarespace Payments: for secure payment processing

  • Squarespace Email Campaigns (or Mailchimp, if adopted): for newsletters and editorial updates

We do not share or sell personal data to any other third parties except when required by law (e.g., to comply with a lawful request from authorities).

6. Data Retention

We keep advertisement and correspondence data for up to three years after publication. This allows us to manage reprints, follow up on late replies, and maintain a secure editorial archive.

We may also keep selected ads or correspondence in anonymised form indefinitely for historical, editorial, or celebratory purposes such as future anthologies, exhibitions, or events connected to The Lonely Hearts Club.

Any personally identifying details (names, addresses, contact information) are deleted once no longer required for forwarding or record-keeping.

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil its purpose:

  • Ad and correspondence data: up to 3 years after publication

  • Payment and transaction records: up to 7 years (for tax compliance)

  • Mailing list data: until you unsubscribe

All data is securely deleted or anonymised after these periods.

7. Your Rights

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

  • Access a copy of the data we hold about you

  • Request correction or deletion of inaccurate data

  • Withdraw consent at any time (for marketing or newsletters)

  • Object to processing or request data portability

To exercise these rights, email us at hello@thelonelyheartsclub.co.uk. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational safeguards to protect your data, including encryption, access controls, and secure storage. While no system is completely secure, we take every reasonable step to prevent loss, misuse, or unauthorised access.

9. International Transfers

Some of our service providers (e.g., Google, Squarespace) may store data outside the UK. These transfers are protected by standard contractual clauses approved by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to ensure your data remains secure.

10. Cookies and Tracking

Our website (via Squarespace) uses essential cookies for functionality and limited analytics cookies to understand site performance.
You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect operational or legal changes. Updates will be published on our website with a revised “Effective Date.”

12. Complaints

If you have concerns about our handling of your data, please contact us first at hello@thelonelyheartsclub.co.uk.
If you remain unsatisfied, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
ICO, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF
www.ico.org.uk