Last updated: 26 July 2026

This privacy policy explains how I collect, use and protect your personal information when you visit ailsahichens.com, contact me or work with me.

Who I am

The data controller responsible for your personal information is:
Ailsa Hichens
Email: [email protected]

This policy applies to ailsahichens.com and my work as an author, content creator and voice artist.

My nutrition practice, Food Fabulous, has its own website and privacy information.

What information I collect

I may collect:

• your name
• your email address and telephone number
• your company, brand or organisation
• information you include in an enquiry, brief or message
• correspondence between us
• project, contractual and payment information when we work together
• information about how you use this website, such as pages visited, device type and general location
• your marketing preferences
• information provided through social media or other professional platforms when you contact me there

I do not intentionally collect sensitive personal information through this website.

How I collect your information

I collect information when you:

• complete a contact form
• email or message me
• enquire about brand work, writing, narration or voiceover
• enter into a contract with me
• subscribe to any mailing list or updates
• interact with this website or its cookies
• contact me through a social media or professional platform

I may also receive business contact information from a brand, agency, publisher, producer or other organisation involved in a potential or existing project.

How I use your information

I may use your information to:

• respond to enquiries
• discuss, quote for and manage projects
• provide contracted services
• communicate with clients, brands, agencies, publishers and collaborators
• issue invoices and maintain financial records
• operate, secure and improve this website
• understand which website content is useful
• send marketing emails where I have permission or another lawful basis to do so
• comply with legal, accounting or regulatory requirements
• establish, exercise or defend legal claims

My lawful bases

Depending on the circumstances, I rely on the following lawful bases:

Consent

Where you have actively agreed to receive marketing communications or accepted non-essential cookies. You may withdraw consent at any time.

Contract

Where processing is necessary to provide a quote, take steps before entering into a contract or deliver work you have commissioned.

Legitimate interests

Where I have a reasonable business need to respond to enquiries, manage professional relationships, protect the website, prevent misuse and improve my services. I consider whether those interests are outweighed by your privacy rights before relying on this basis.

Legal obligation

Where I need to keep information for tax, accounting, regulatory or legal purposes.

UK data protection law requires an organisation to identify and disclose an appropriate lawful basis for each purpose for which it uses personal information.

Marketing

I may send occasional emails about my work, services, books or projects where you have given consent or where another lawful basis permitted under electronic marketing rules applies.

Every marketing email will provide a way to unsubscribe. You may also contact me at [email protected] and ask me to stop.

I will not sell your personal information to advertisers or mailing-list companies.

Cookies and website analytics

This website may use:

• essential cookies needed for the website to function
• preference cookies that remember choices
• analytics cookies that help me understand how the website is used
• embedded content or third-party services that may place their own cookies

Non-essential cookies and similar tracking technologies will only be used where the required consent has been obtained through the cookie banner. Analytics and other tracking cookies generally require consent under PECR.

You can change your cookie choices through the website’s cookie settings or your browser settings.

Who I share information with

I may share personal information with trusted service providers where necessary, including:

• my website and customer relationship management provider, HighLevel
• email and cloud storage providers, including Google Workspace
• website analytics and technical service providers
• payment processors and banking providers
• accountants, legal advisers and other professional advisers
• contractors assisting with an agreed project
• government bodies, regulators or law enforcement where legally required

These organisations may act as data processors or, in some cases, as separate data controllers. I only share the information reasonably required for the relevant purpose.

International transfers

Some technology providers may process or store information outside the United Kingdom.

Where this happens, I use providers that state they have appropriate safeguards in place. These may include UK adequacy regulations, approved contractual clauses or other protections recognised under UK data protection law.

How long I keep information

I keep personal information only for as long as it is reasonably needed.

As a general guide:

• routine enquiries may be retained for up to two years after our last contact
• project, contractual, invoice and accounting records may be retained for up to six years
• marketing information is retained until you unsubscribe or it is no longer needed
• an email address may be retained on a suppression list after unsubscribing so that I do not accidentally contact you again
• cookie and analytics information is retained according to the settings of the relevant service

I may keep information longer where required by law or where it is relevant to a legal claim.

How I protect information

I take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure.

No internet-based service is completely secure, but I limit access to personal information and use reputable providers with appropriate security measures.

Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• ask for a copy of your personal information
• ask for inaccurate information to be corrected
• ask for information to be deleted
• ask for processing to be restricted
• object to certain uses of your information
• receive certain information in a portable format
• withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis
• complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office

These rights are not absolute and may depend on the lawful basis and circumstances involved.

To exercise a right, email [email protected]. I may need to confirm your identity before responding.

Your right to object

You have the right to object at any time to the use of your personal information for direct marketing.

You may also object to processing based on legitimate interests. I will consider your request and stop processing unless I have compelling legitimate grounds to continue or the information is needed for a legal claim.

Complaints

Please contact me first if you have concerns about how I have used your information:

[email protected]

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK regulator for data protection.

Changes to this policy

I may update this privacy policy when my website, services or legal obligations change. The latest version will always appear on this page with the date it was updated.