Last updated: 22 October 2026
This privacy policy explains how George McGillivray collects, uses and protects your personal information when you visit georgemcgillivray.com (Lifelong Learning with George) or get in touch with George.
Who we are
George McGillivray is the data controller for your personal information (referred to as “we”, “us” or “our” in this policy). If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your information, please contact George:
Email: george.mcgillivray@gmail.com
Post: 8 Westfield Court, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, AB39 2JW
The information we collect
This website does not have contact forms, a newsletter sign-up or online shop, and it does not use analytics or advertising tools. We only collect personal information in these ways:
- When you contact George by email or through LinkedIn: your name, email address, and anything you choose to include in your message, such as details of an event, a book order or your organisation.
- When you visit the website: our web host automatically records basic technical information, such as your IP address, browser type and the pages requested, in server logs. These are used to keep the website secure and working properly.
How we use your information
We use your information to:
- reply to your enquiry;
- arrange speaking engagements, workshops or signed and group book orders you ask about;
- keep records of any work or orders, as required for tax and accounting purposes; and
- keep this website secure.
Under UK data protection law we rely on our legitimate interests in responding to enquiries and running the website, on taking steps at your request before entering into an agreement (for example, booking George to speak), and on our legal obligations for financial records.
We will not add you to a mailing list or send you marketing emails unless you have asked us to. If you do agree to receive updates, you can change your mind at any time by emailing George.
Sharing your information
We will never sell, rent or trade your personal information. We only share it with service providers who help us run the website and handle email, and only as much as they need:
- D9 Hosting, which hosts this website on UK servers; and
- Google (Gmail), which provides George’s email. Google may process data outside the UK, using safeguards approved under UK data protection law.
We may also share information if the law requires us to.
How long we keep it
We keep emails and enquiries for as long as we need them to deal with your request, and generally no longer than two years after our last contact. Records relating to paid work or book orders are kept for six years to meet HMRC requirements. Server logs are kept by our web host for a short period and then deleted automatically.
Cookies
This website does not use tracking, analytics or advertising cookies. WordPress, the software the site runs on, only sets cookies for people who log in to manage the site, and these are not used for visitors.
If we add any non-essential cookies in future, such as website analytics, we will update this policy and ask for your consent first.
Links to other websites
This website links to other sites, such as TEDxAberdeen, podcast pages, LinkedIn and the websites for George’s books. Those sites have their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for how they handle your information.
Keeping your information safe
We take sensible steps to protect your information, including using a secure (HTTPS) website, keeping the site’s software up to date, and protecting the accounts used to run the site and email.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have the right to:
- ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
- ask us to correct information that is wrong or incomplete;
- ask us to delete your information;
- ask us to restrict or stop using your information, or object to how we use it;
- ask for your information in a format you can take elsewhere; and
- withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on it.
To use any of these rights, email george.mcgillivray@gmail.com. There is normally no charge, and we will reply within one month. We may need to ask you to confirm your identity first.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, please contact us first so we can try to put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection regulator, at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or on 0303 123 1113.
Children
This website is not aimed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from them.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top shows when it was last changed.