Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 2026

1. Who We Are

Athena (Athena Conferencing & Banqueting, Queen Street, Leicester, LE1 1QD) is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data responsibly. This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and your rights under UK data protection law — including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

For the purposes of data protection law, Athena is the data controller of your personal data.

This policy applies to users of our websites: www.athenacb.co.uk, www.athenalive.co.uk and www.leicestereventhire.co.uk

By using any of these sites, you acknowledge the practices described in this policy.

2. What Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following personal data about you:

  • Full name
  • Postal address
  • Telephone number
  • Email address
  • Website (where relevant)
  • Marketing and communications preferences

We collect this information when you complete an enquiry or registration form on our website, contact us by phone or email, sign up to our mailing list, or participate in a survey.

We will never collect sensitive personal data without your explicit consent.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

  • To respond to your enquiries and provide the services you have requested
  • To send you information about Athena events, services, and offers where you have consented to receive this
  • To improve our website and services through analytics
  • To comply with any legal obligations

The lawful bases on which we process your data are consent (for marketing communications) and legitimate interests (for responding to enquiries and improving our services), in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

4. Marketing & Communications

Where you have opted in, we may send you occasional emails with updates, news, and offers relating to Athena events and services. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us at contact@athenacb.co.uk.

We will not use your data for marketing purposes without your consent. We will never sell your data or share it with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

5. Cookies & Analytics

What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help the site recognise your device on future visits and allow us to improve your experience.

Cookies We Use
Our websites use the following types of cookies:

  • Essential cookies — required for the website to function correctly (e.g. session management). These do not require your consent.
  • Analytics cookies — used to understand how visitors interact with our site (e.g. pages visited, time on site). These require your consent.
  • Preference cookies — used to remember your settings and choices to personalise your experience.

When you first visit our website, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner. You may accept all cookies, manage your preferences, or decline non-essential cookies. You can change your cookie preferences at any time via your browser settings.

Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC, to help us understand how visitors use our websites. Google Analytics collects information such as:

  • Pages visited and time spent on each page
  • How you arrived at our site (e.g. search engine, direct link, social media)
  • Your approximate geographic location (country/city level only)
  • Device type, browser, and operating system

This data is collected using cookies and is processed by Google on our behalf. We have enabled IP anonymisation, meaning your full IP address is never stored by Google Analytics.

Google Analytics data is stored on Google's servers, which may be located outside the UK. Google is certified under appropriate data transfer mechanisms and we have a Data Processing Agreement in place with Google in line with UK GDPR requirements.

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking at any time by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on, or by declining analytics cookies via our cookie consent tool.

For more information on how Google uses your data, please visit policies.google.com/privacy.

Managing Cookies
You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our websites. For guidance on managing cookies in your browser, visit allaboutcookies.org.

We comply with the UK ICO's updated guidance on storage and access technologies (2026) and the requirements of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

6. Data Sharing & Third-Party Processors

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

We may share your data with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website and delivering our services. These currently include:

  • Google LLC — analytics services (Google Analytics)
  • Email marketing platform providers — for distributing newsletters and event communications

All third-party processors are only permitted to process your data on our instructions, are subject to confidentiality obligations, and are required to comply with UK GDPR.

Our websites may contain links to third-party websites. These sites have their own privacy policies and we accept no responsibility or liability for them. Please review their policies before submitting any personal data.

7. Data Security

We have put in place appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. Access to your personal data is restricted to those with a genuine business need, and all such individuals are subject to a duty of confidentiality. All data is stored on secure servers.

In the event of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the ICO within 72 hours and, where required, inform you directly.

8. Data Retention

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

In line with HMRC requirements, we retain basic customer records (including contact, identity, and transaction data) for a minimum of six years after the end of the relevant customer relationship. Other personal data is reviewed regularly and deleted when it is no longer required.

9. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Right to be informed — to know how and why your data is used (this policy fulfils that obligation)
  • Right of access — to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (a Subject Access Request)
  • Right to rectification — to have inaccurate or incomplete data corrected
  • Right to erasure — to request deletion of your data where there is no legitimate reason for us to continue processing it
  • Right to restrict processing — to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances
  • Right to data portability — to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format
  • Right to object — to object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes
  • Rights related to automated decision-making — not to be subject to solely automated decisions that have a significant effect on you

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at contact@athenacb.co.uk or write to us at the address below. We will respond within one month of receiving your request.

10. Withdrawing Consent

Where we rely on your consent to process your personal data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before the withdrawal. Please note that if you withdraw consent, we may be unable to provide certain services to you — we will advise you if this is the case.

To withdraw consent, please contact us at contact@athenacb.co.uk.

11. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, please contact us in the first instance so we can address the matter promptly.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at any time:

  • Information Commissioner's Office
  • Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
  • Telephone: 0303 123 1113
  • Website: www.ico.org.uk

12. Changes to This Policy

We review this Privacy Policy regularly and will post any updates on this page with a revised 'last updated' date. We encourage you to check back periodically. Continued use of our websites following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

For any questions, requests, or concerns relating to this Privacy Policy, please contact:

14. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising in connection with this policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

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