Privacy policy

Last updated: 13 August 2026

1. Who we are

Hornbeam Tech Services Ltd ("we", "us", "our") is a private company limited by shares, registered in England and Wales under company number 16705964, with its registered office at 41 Hornbeam Road, Havant, England, PO9 2UR. For the purposes of UK data protection law — the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 — we are the controller of the personal data described in this policy.

You can contact us about anything in this policy at support@hornbeamtech.org.

2. Personal data we collect

When you contact us

If you email us or otherwise get in touch, we receive your name, email address, and whatever you choose to tell us. We use this to reply and to carry out any work you ask for.

When you become a client

We keep the information needed to deliver our services and run our business, which may include:

• contact and billing details (name, business name, address, email, phone number);
• records of the work we do for you, including notes about your systems and equipment;
• credentials and configuration details you provide so we can support your systems, stored securely and used only for the agreed work;
• invoicing and payment records we are legally required to keep.

When you visit this website

This is a static website. We do not run analytics, advertising or tracking on it, and we do not set cookies. Our hosting provider may record standard server logs (IP address, browser type, pages requested) for security and capacity purposes. See our cookie policy for detail.

3. Data we access while providing support

Supporting a computer or account sometimes means seeing the data on it. We access client systems only with permission, only to the extent the job requires, and we do not copy personal data off your systems unless that is the agreed work (for example, taking a backup). Where we routinely process personal data on your behalf — such as managing backups that contain it — we act as your processor, and will agree the terms of that in writing.

4. Why we use personal data, and our lawful bases

• To respond to enquiries and provide our services — performance of a contract, or steps taken at your request before entering one.
• To invoice, keep accounts and meet tax obligations — legal obligation.
• To keep records of work done and maintain the security of our own systems — legitimate interests.
• To tell existing clients about services relevant to them — legitimate interests; you can opt out at any time and we will stop.

We do not sell personal data, and we do not use it for automated decision-making or profiling.

5. Who we share data with

We share personal data only where necessary to run the business:

• service providers we use, such as email hosting, accounting software and secure password storage, under their own contractual safeguards;
• professional advisers such as accountants, where required;
• authorities, where the law requires it.

Where a provider stores data outside the UK, we rely on recognised safeguards such as UK adequacy regulations or the International Data Transfer Agreement.

6. How long we keep data

• Enquiries that do not lead to work: up to 12 months, then deleted.
• Client records and work documentation: for the duration of the relationship and up to 6 years afterwards, in line with limitation periods and tax rules.
• Credentials and system access: deleted or returned promptly when an engagement ends.

7. Security

We apply the same standards we recommend to clients: unique strong passwords in a managed vault, multi-factor authentication on our accounts, encrypted devices, and prompt security updates. No system is perfectly secure, but if we become aware of a breach affecting your personal data we will inform you and, where required, the Information Commissioner's Office without undue delay.

8. Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

• access the personal data we hold about you;
• have inaccurate data corrected and, in certain circumstances, deleted;
• object to or restrict certain processing, including direct marketing;
• receive data you provided in a portable format, where processing is based on contract or consent;
• withdraw consent at any time, where processing relies on it.

To exercise any of these rights, email support@hornbeamtech.org. We respond within one month. If you are unhappy with our answer you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk, though we would welcome the chance to resolve it first.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top shows when it last changed, and the current version will always be at https://hornbeamtech.org/privacy.html.