Privacy Policy
Scientific and Medical Network (SMN) — Registered Charity No. 1101171
Last updated: April 2026
The Scientific and Medical Network (SMN) is committed to protecting the personal data of everyone who engages with our work. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and the rights available to you under UK data protection law.
It applies to all personal data processed by SMN in connection with membership, events, publications, donations, and use of our website and online platforms.
SMN acts as the data controller for all personal data described in this policy. We process personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
1. Who We Are
The Scientific and Medical Network is a UK-registered educational charity. We are an interdisciplinary forum that explores the frontiers of science, consciousness, and spirituality through public conferences, webinars, publications, membership services, and research partnerships.
| Organisation | Scientific and Medical Network (SMN) |
|---|---|
| Legal Form | Company limited by guarantee |
| Type | UK Registered Educational Charity |
| Charity Number | 1101171 |
| Registered Address | 81 Larcom Street, Walworth, London SE17 1NJ |
| Website | https://scientificandmedical.net |
| [email protected] | |
| Telephone | +44 (0)20 3468 2034 |
For all privacy-related enquiries, please contact us at the email address above.
2. Scope of This Policy
This policy applies to personal data collected in connection with:
- membership registration and administration
- event registration and attendance (online and in-person)
- webinar and conference participation, including recordings
- email newsletter subscriptions and communications
- donations and financial transactions
- publication and product purchases
- research partnerships and grant-holding activities
- use of the SMN website
This policy does not apply to third-party websites or platforms that we link to. We encourage you to review their privacy policies separately.
3. What Personal Data We Collect
The personal data we collect depends on how you interact with SMN. The categories below describe the types of data we may hold.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Identity Data | Name; username or member identifier |
| Contact Data | Email address; postal address (for print publications); telephone number |
| Financial Data | Payment records relating to membership subscriptions, event tickets, donations, or product purchases |
| Membership Data | Membership tier; membership status; access permissions; membership history |
| Event Participation Data | Event registrations; attendance records; questions or contributions made during events |
| Recording Data | Name as displayed in platform; voice; image if camera is enabled; verbal or written contributions to live sessions |
| Technical Data | IP address (anonymised for analytics); browser type; device information; website usage data |
| Communication Data | Emails and correspondence sent to SMN; newsletter subscription preferences |
| Donation Data | Name; email address; donation history |
| Research Partnership Data | Contact details and institutional affiliations of research partners and grant recipients |
We do not intentionally collect special category data (such as health information, religious beliefs, or political opinions). If any such data is provided voluntarily during an event or in correspondence, it will be treated with heightened care and processed only where a lawful basis applies.
4. How We Collect Personal Data
Personal data may be collected through the following channels:
- the SMN website, including forms powered by WPForms
- membership registration via MemberPress
- event and ticket registration forms
- email newsletter sign-up forms
- donation forms
- product and publication purchases
- direct correspondence with SMN staff
- participation in online events via Zoom or other platforms
- website analytics tools (Google Analytics)
- Mailchimp email platform; Aweber (legacy, being phased out)
- research partnership or grant application processes
We collect only the personal data necessary for the purposes described in this policy.
5. How We Use Personal Data
SMN uses personal data to fulfil its charitable purposes and to operate its activities effectively. Specific purposes include:
- administering membership services, including access to member benefits and events
- processing membership subscription payments
- organising and delivering online and in-person events, conferences, and webinars
- recording events and providing post-event access to recordings for ticket holders and members
- processing event registrations and ticket purchases
- sending newsletters, programme announcements, and member communications
- processing donations and issuing Gift Aid declarations where applicable
- managing publication subscriptions and product orders, including dispatch of Paradigm Explorer journal
- administering research partnerships and grant-holding activities on behalf of third parties
- maintaining organisational records for governance and compliance purposes
- improving the website and our communications through analytics data
- complying with legal and regulatory obligations
6. Lawful Basis for Processing
Under UK GDPR, SMN must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. The basis we rely on varies depending on the activity.
| Lawful Basis | When We Rely on It | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Contract | Processing necessary to fulfil a contract with you, or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract | Membership subscriptions; event ticket purchases; product orders |
| Legitimate Interests | Processing necessary for SMN’s legitimate interests, where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms | Recording events for educational archive; sending programme updates to members; improving the website; research partnership administration |
| Consent | Where you have given us a clear indication of agreement to specific processing | Newsletter subscriptions; optional marketing communications; analytics cookies |
| Legal Obligation | Processing required to comply with a legal requirement | Financial record-keeping; Gift Aid processing; Charity Commission reporting |
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we carry out a balancing assessment to ensure our interests do not override your rights and freedoms. You have the right to object to processing carried out on this basis (see Section 13).
Further information on lawful bases: ico.org.uk
7. Event Recordings
SMN records certain online and in-person events, including Wednesday Webinars, Mystics and Scientists, Beyond the Brain, the Galileo Commission Webinars and Summits, the Consciousness Perspectives Forum, and member events such as Friday Virtual Bar sessions, Sunday Meditation Hour, and BioField Special Interest Group sessions.
What Data May Be Captured in Recordings
- your name as displayed in the event platform (e.g. Zoom)
- your voice, if you speak during the session
- your image, if you choose to enable your camera
- questions or comments submitted verbally during live sessions
- chat messages submitted during the event, which may be retained as part of the event record
Purpose of Processing
Recordings are made for the following purposes:
- providing post-event access to recordings for ticket holders and members as part of the event offering
- educational and archival purposes in support of SMN’s charitable mission
- short promotional excerpts highlighting event content
Lawful Basis for Recordings
Our lawful basis for recording events is Legitimate Interests, namely:
- delivering the event as advertised and providing access to recordings as part of the ticket or membership offering
- maintaining an educational archive in support of the charitable purposes of the organisation
We balance these interests against your rights and freedoms. Participation in live Q&A sessions or video sharing is always voluntary. If you prefer not to appear in a recording, please keep your camera switched off and use the chat function to submit questions.
Notice at Point of Registration
When you register for an event, you will be notified that the event will be recorded. The standard notice provided is:
“This event will be recorded. By registering for and attending this event, you acknowledge that your name, voice, and any video you choose to share may appear in the recording. If you prefer not to be included in the recording, please keep your camera switched off and use the chat function to submit questions. Event recordings will be made available to ticket holders and members, and may be used in future educational or promotional materials. For further details about how we process personal data, please see our Privacy Policy.”
Retention of Recordings
Event recordings are retained for as long as they remain relevant to the organisation’s educational archive and member resources. If you submit a valid request for restriction or removal, this will be assessed individually in accordance with applicable data protection law (see Section 13).
8. Member-Only Activities
SMN operates a range of online activities exclusively for members, including:
- Monday Dialogue — weekly Zoom meeting for members (not recorded)
- Friday Virtual Bar — weekly Zoom meeting for members (recorded, shared within membership)
- Sunday Meditation Hour — weekly Zoom meeting for members (recorded, shared within membership)
- Book Briefing — monthly event for members and subscribers
- BioField SIG Meeting — monthly members event
Participation in these activities is voluntary and membership data is used to manage access and invitations. Where recording occurs, the same principles described in Section 7 apply. Members are notified of recording arrangements on the members area of the SMN website. The Monday Dialogue is not recorded, in keeping with its character as a confidential sharing space.
9. Research Partnerships and Grant-Holding Activities
SMN occasionally acts as a grant holder or administrative partner for third-party research activities, including projects associated with the Galileo Commission or specific individuals.
Where SMN holds or administers funds on behalf of a research project, we may process the personal data of research partners, principal investigators, or project participants. This processing will be carried out:
- only to the extent necessary to fulfil the grant-holding or partnership function
- under a clearly defined agreement with the relevant parties
- in accordance with UK GDPR and Charity Commission guidance on grant management
Individuals involved in research partnerships will be informed at the point of engagement of how their data is used.
10. Sharing Personal Data with Third Parties
SMN uses trusted third-party service providers to support its operations. These providers act as data processors and process personal data only on our instructions and for the purposes described in this policy.
| Category | Provider(s) | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Website and CMS | WordPress | Website hosting and content management |
| Membership Management | MemberPress | Member registration, subscription management, access control |
| Email Communications | Mailchimp; Aweber (legacy, being phased out) | Newsletter distribution and event communications |
| Event and Webinar Platform | Zoom | Hosting online events, webinars, and member sessions |
| Video Hosting | Vimeo; YouTube | Hosting event recordings for access by ticket holders and members |
| Payment Processing | Stripe; PayPal | Processing membership, event, donation, and product payments |
| Website Analytics | Google Analytics | Understanding website usage; IP addresses are anonymised |
| Event Registration | WPForms | Collecting event registrations and managing attendee lists |
| Print and Dispatch | External print contractors | Printing and dispatching Paradigm Explorer journal to members with print subscriptions |
We do not sell personal data to third parties. We do not share personal data with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
We may disclose personal data where required to do so by law or by a court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of SMN, its members, or the public.
In the event that SMN’s activities are transferred to, merged with, or taken over by another charitable organisation, your details may be disclosed to advisers and passed to the successor organisation. You would be notified of any such change.
11. International Data Transfers
Some service providers used by SMN are based outside the United Kingdom or operate internationally, which may involve the transfer of personal data outside the UK. Where this occurs, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK GDPR requirements, such as Standard Contractual Clauses or adequacy decisions.
Further information: ico.org.uk
12. Data Retention
SMN retains personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law.
| Data Type | Retention Approach |
|---|---|
| Membership records | Retained while membership is active; reviewed upon lapse or cancellation |
| Financial and payment records | Retained for at least 6 years in accordance with HMRC accounting requirements |
| Event registrations | Retained for organisational record-keeping; reviewed periodically |
| Event recordings | Retained as part of the educational archive; subject to valid restriction or removal requests |
| Email communications | Retained while the subscription or relationship is active; reviewed upon unsubscription |
| Donation records | Retained for at least 6 years in accordance with Gift Aid and accounting requirements |
| Research partnership records | Retained for the duration of the project and for a reasonable period thereafter for governance purposes |
| Website analytics data | Processed in anonymised and aggregated form; not individually identifiable |
When personal data is no longer required, it is deleted or anonymised securely.
13. Your Data Protection Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
| Right | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Right of access | You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (a Subject Access Request) |
| Right to rectification | You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data |
| Right to erasure | You may request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances |
| Right to restriction | You may request that we limit how we use your personal data in certain circumstances |
| Right to object | You may object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes |
| Right to data portability | Where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, you may request your data in a structured, machine-readable format |
| Right to withdraw consent | Where we rely on consent as our lawful basis, you may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing |
To exercise any of your rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within one calendar month. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request. Please clearly state who you are when contacting us.
Further information: ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/
14. Cookies and Analytics
SMN uses cookies and similar tracking technologies on its website. Cookies are small files placed on your device that help us understand how visitors use the site.
Types of Cookies We Use
- Strictly necessary cookies — essential for the website to function and cannot be switched off
- Analytics cookies — used via Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with our website, including pages visited and general location. IP addresses are anonymised. This data is used in aggregated form to improve the website and our communications.
Analytics cookies are only placed with your consent. When you first visit the SMN website, you will be presented with a cookie consent notice. You may withdraw consent at any time by adjusting your browser settings.
We have concluded a data processing agreement with Google. Google may not use this data for any other Google services. For further information on how Google handles analytics data, please refer to Google’s Privacy Policy.
For full details of the cookies used on this website, please refer to our Cookie Policy.
15. Security of Personal Data
SMN takes appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure. Measures in place include:
- access to personal data restricted to authorised staff and contractors with a legitimate need
- use of reputable, GDPR-compliant third-party service providers
- regular review of access permissions
- secure transmission of data via encrypted connections (HTTPS)
In the event of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms, SMN will report the breach to the ICO within 72 hours of becoming aware of it, as required by UK GDPR.
16. Children
SMN’s events, membership services, and communications are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under the age of 18 without verifiable parental consent. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child without appropriate consent, we will delete it promptly.
17. Complaints
If you have concerns about how your personal data has been handled, please contact SMN in the first instance:
- Email: [email protected]
- Post: Scientific and Medical Network, 81 Larcom Street, Walworth, London SE17 1NJ
- Telephone: +44 (0)20 3468 2034
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at any time:
| Regulator | Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) |
|---|---|
| Address | Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF |
| Website | ico.org.uk |
| Helpline | 0303 123 1113 |
18. Updates to This Policy
SMN may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our operations, services, or legal obligations. Where changes are material, we will notify members and subscribers by email.
The current version of this policy is always available on the SMN website at https://scientificandmedical.net. The version date at the top of this policy indicates when it was last reviewed.
Appendix A: Event Recording Notices
The following standard notices are used at the point of event registration and in automated ticket confirmation emails.
Standard Notice for Event Pages
“This event will be recorded. By registering for and attending this event, you acknowledge that your name, voice, and any video you choose to share may appear in the recording. If you prefer not to be included in the recording, please keep your camera switched off and use the chat function to submit questions. Event recordings will be made available to ticket holders and members, and may be used in future educational or promotional materials. For further details about how we process personal data, please see our Privacy Policy.”
Short Form Notice for Ticket Confirmation Emails
“This event will be recorded. By attending, you acknowledge that your name, voice, and any video you choose to share may appear in the recording. If you prefer not to be included in the recording, please keep your camera off and use chat for questions. See our Privacy Policy for details.”
Members Area Notice
“A note on recordings: The Sunday Meditation Hour and Friday Virtual Bar are recorded and made available to SMN members as part of your membership benefits. If you prefer not to appear in a recording, simply keep your camera switched off and use the chat function to contribute. The Monday Dialogue is not recorded, in keeping with its character as a safe sharing space.”