HT

Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 2026

1. Who We Are

Hospitality Together (Hospitality Together Ltd) is a UK-based action group campaigning for a VAT reduction from 20% to 10% for independent hospitality businesses. When we refer to "we", "us" or "our" in this policy, we mean Hospitality Together.

We are the data controller for the personal information we process through this website. If you have questions about this policy or your data, please contact us at the [email protected]

2. What Data We Collect

When you interact with our website we may collect the following personal data:

  • Contact details – name, email address and phone number (provided via our survey / contact form).
  • Business information – business name, type, operational years and employee count.
  • Survey responses – answers to campaign-related questions you choose to complete.
  • Account credentials – email and hashed password if you are a registered editor or administrator.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR we rely on the following legal bases:

  • Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) – When you submit the survey form you give explicit consent for us to process and store your responses and contact details for campaign purposes.
  • Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) – We use aggregated, anonymised survey data to support our campaign activities, lobby government and produce industry reports. This does not override your rights or freedoms.
  • Contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) – When you create an admin/editor account, we process credentials to provide you access to the content management system.

4. How We Use Your Data

  • To represent your voice in our campaign for a VAT reduction.
  • To produce aggregated statistics and reports that demonstrate the impact of current VAT rates on independent hospitality businesses.
  • To contact you with campaign updates if you have given consent.
  • To manage website content via admin accounts.

We will never sell your personal data to third parties or use it for unrelated marketing.

5. Data Sharing

We may share anonymised, aggregated survey statistics (e.g. "78% of respondents reported reduced margins") with:

  • Members of Parliament and government officials as part of lobbying activities.
  • Press and media to support public awareness campaigns.
  • Industry bodies and partner organisations working towards similar goals.

We do not share your identifiable personal data with any third party without your explicit consent, except where required by law.

6. Data Storage & Security

  • Your data is stored in a secure PostgreSQL database hosted within the EU/UK region.
  • Passwords are hashed using industry-standard bcrypt encryption and are never stored in plain text.
  • All communication with our website is encrypted via HTTPS/TLS.
  • Access to personal data is restricted to authorised administrators only.

7. Data Retention

We retain survey responses and contact details for the duration of the campaign or until you request deletion, whichever is sooner. Admin/editor account data is retained for as long as the account is active.

8. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

  • Access – request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Rectification – ask us to correct any inaccurate data.
  • Erasure – ask us to delete your personal data ("right to be forgotten").
  • Restrict processing – ask us to limit how we use your data.
  • Data portability – receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
  • Withdraw consent – at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in the website footer. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Cookies & Analytics

This website uses only essential cookies required for authentication and session management. We do not use third-party tracking cookies or advertising cookies.

10. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk, the UK's supervisory authority for data protection.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.