Privacy Policy
Last updated: 3 August 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how The Useful Self-Defence Company Ltd ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, and protects personal data when you visit usefulselfdefence.co.uk (the "Website"), in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
1. Who We Are
The Useful Self-Defence Company Ltd is a company registered in Scotland under company number 896212, with a registered office at 33/1 Ocean Drive, Edinburgh, EH6 6JL.
For the purposes of data protection law, we are the "data controller" of the personal data described in this policy.
If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, contact us at:
Post: 33/1 Ocean Drive, Edinburgh, EH6 6JL
2. What Personal Data We Collect
We collect personal data directly from you when you use the contact form on our Website. This may include:
Your name
Your email address
Any other information you choose to include in your message (e.g. phone number, details of your enquiry)
We also collect limited technical data automatically through cookies when you browse the Website — see Section 5 (Cookies and Analytics) below.
We do not knowingly collect any special category data (e.g. health information, criminal records) through the contact form. Please avoid including sensitive information in your message unless it's necessary to answer your enquiry.
3. How and Why We Use Your Data
We do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.
4. Who We Share Your Data With
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only where necessary with:
Google LLC — as our website analytics provider (Google Analytics). Google may process data outside the UK/EEA, including in the United States. Where this happens, we rely on the UK-US Data Bridge / EU-US Data Privacy Framework and Google's standard contractual clauses as the transfer safeguard.
Squarespace Inc. — as our website hosting provider. Squarespace hosts our Website and processes data submitted through it (including contact form enquiries) on our behalf. Squarespace is based in the United States, and we rely on the UK-US Data Bridge / EU-US Data Privacy Framework and Squarespace's standard contractual clauses as the transfer safeguard.
Regulators or law enforcement, where required by law.
We do not otherwise transfer your data outside the UK.
5. Cookies and Analytics
Our Website uses cookies, including Google Analytics, to help us understand how visitors use the site (e.g. which pages are viewed, how long visitors stay).
Non-essential cookies (including Google Analytics) are only set after you consent via our cookie banner.
You can withdraw or change your consent at any time by clearing your cookies or via the cookie settings on our Website.
Google Analytics collects data such as your approximate location (via IP address, which we have configured to be anonymised/truncated where possible), device and browser type, and pages visited. It does not, to our knowledge, collect your name or email address.
Our Website is hosted on Squarespace, which sets some of its own cookies automatically to make the site work (e.g. maintaining your session, load balancing, and security). These are strictly necessary cookies and do not require your consent, as they cannot be switched off without affecting the Website's core functionality.
6. How Long We Keep Your Data
Contact form enquiries: retained for up to 12 months after our last contact with you, unless a longer period is needed (e.g. an ongoing booking or legal matter), after which it is deleted or anonymised.
Analytics data: retained according to Google Analytics' default retention settings (which you can configure in your GA4 account), typically 14 months.
7. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
Access the personal data we hold about you
Rectify inaccurate or incomplete data
Erase your data ("right to be forgotten"), in certain circumstances
Restrict processing of your data
Object to processing based on legitimate interests
Data portability, where technically feasible
Withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent (e.g. analytics cookies)
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@usefulselfdefence.co.uk. We will respond within one month, as required by law.
If you're unhappy with how we've handled your data, you also have the right to complain to the UK's data protection regulator:
Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) Website: ico.org.uk Helpline: 0303 123 1113
8. Data Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, or misuse, including secure hosting and restricted access to enquiry data.
9. Children's Privacy
Our Website and services are intended for adults and organisations arranging workplace training. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised.
11. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data:
Post: The Useful Self Defence Company, 33 Ocean Drive, Edinburgh, EH6 6JL
Data Used
Name, email address, message content
Technical/usage data via cookies
Relevant data held
Purpose
Responding to your enquiry sent via the contact form
Understanding how visitors use our Website (Google Analytics)
Complying with legal obligations (e.g. responding to a data subject request)
Legal basis under UK GDPR
Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)) — to respond to enquiries and provide information about our training services
Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) — obtained via our cookie banner
Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c))