Privacy & your data
To comply with the data protection regulations and in the spirit of Openness, Clarity and Sensitivity, we would like to share with you our Privacy Policy and Data Protection Statement explaining the information we collect and how we use it. We are committed to upholding our legal obligations regarding the collecting, storing and use of personal data.
Who are the Awakened Heart Sangha?
We are a world-wide Buddhist community founded by Lama Shenpen Hookham and under her spiritual direction. Lama Shenpen developed her Living the Awakened Heart Training programme to teach meditation, reflection and insight - covering the most profound teachings of Mahamudra and Dzogchen from the Tibetan lineage she has received authorisation to teach - in an accessible way for Westerners, for anyone with an open mind who’s interested in learning.
The activities of the Sangha are supported by the Shrimala Trust, a Buddhist charity and UK non-profit organisation (charity no: 1078783) set up to support the Sangha. We survive through the generosity of our supporters. All courses, books, teachings and events are covered by donations only, with no set fees in order to make them as accessible as possible for people of all incomes.
What information do we collect?
For both the general public and students
We have a mailing list of weekly teachings by Lama Shenpen called Buddha Within, where each week Lama answer’s a student’s question. If you sign up to our Buddhism Connect mailing list we use your name and email address to send you these weekly Buddhism Connect emails. You will be sent an email to confirm your subscription when you subscribe.
If you email Lama Shenpen at any time with a question or reflection, please be aware that the content of your email may be shared (anonymously, with all personal details removed) for a future Buddha Within email, if Lama believes your email would be beneficial and inspiring for others to read. If you do not wish this to be the case, please clearly label your email to Lama as ‘PRIVATE’ so it is clear that you do not wish the content to be shared for the benefit of other students.
When you interact with website or with the Sangha in other contexts (such as by attending an event), we attempt to record information about the interaction in our database.
This includes (but is not limited to):
- emails newsletters you have signed up for
- products you have purchased
- donations you have made
- courses and events you have registered for
- materials you have requested
- trainings you have completed
We do this in order to:
- provide a better experience for you on our website or as students
- provide more helpful answers if you contact our support team
- contact you if there seems to be a problem
- learn how are interacting with us in order to improve how we communicate and structure what we offer
- prepare financial reports and comply with accounting and Gift Aid regulations
For students
Those who sign up to the Living the Awakened Heart Training and become members of the Sangha by sending a monthly payment, your contact details (name, address, email and telephone number) are stored on our database and also added to an internal Members Directory which can be accessed by all members. Please email Student Support ( [email protected]ku.gro.sha@troppus ) to opt out of the directory or specify which contact data you wish to share. This is also explained to you when you join.
Those who join the training will be added to our members mailing list and will receive our regular newsletters for upcoming events, new publications and supplementary courses; Lama’s Full Moon Newsletter, and our quarterly members journal Tendrel.
If you cancel your membership donation we will get in touch to find out if you had intended to cancel and whether you are leaving the training and if there’s anything we can do to help.
If you attend any AHS events at the Hermitage or elsewhere in person, such as retreats or weekend events, we will often ask for health and safety information, which will include medical information we should know about and emergency contacts. This information is only kept for the duration of the event and destroyed afterwards.
How do I unsubscribe?
To unsubscribe to any emails click unsubscribe at the bottom of the emails we send we will remove all data we hold for you. Or to update your preferences CLICK HERE
If you’re an active member studying the LAH training, please do not unsubscribe from our emails in this way, as it will mean you will no longer receive information necessary to your membership and training! If you have any issues with the emails you receive, quantity or content or are worried you aren’t receiving emails, please contact [email protected]ku.gro.sha@ekruoboj
If you deactivate your membership which you can do at any time by contacting [email protected]ku.gro.sha@troppus - you can then unsubscribe from our email list at any time following the unsubscribe links. Or contact us to do this for you.
How long will my information be held for?
We hold information indefinitely because:
- we frequently find that students return to active participation after a lengthy gap, and we need the information to provide a good experience to them when they do
- we use the information to discern patterns in student's interactions with us, which helps us adjust what we do to better serve future students.
Health and safety data collected at events and retreats is shredded at the end of each event.
Sharing information
We never share any personal information or any details about our members with third parties.
Only authorised staff within the Payments and Finance, Support and Communication departments of The Shrimala Trust will have full access to personal data.
Accessing your personal information
If you would like to discuss the data of yours that we hold or make a complaint, you can email us at anytime at [email protected]ku.gro.sha@troppus or you can contact us by post at:
Awakened Heart Sangha
Ynys Graianog
Criccieth
LL52 0NT
United Kingdom