PHOTOGRAPHY, FILMING & LIVESTREAMING.

Privacy Notice

1. About this notice

We regularly take photographs and record video during our church services, events and activities. Some services and events may also be livestreamed online.

Photographs and recordings may be used on our official church website, social-media platforms, livestreams, recordings, promotional materials and other official church communications.

Because our auditorium is relatively small and our cameras are positioned to cover the service, members of the congregation may be visible in photographs, video recordings and livestreams.

We want everyone to understand clearly how our media arrangements work and to provide a simple way for people to indicate that they do not wish to be included.

2. Our seating arrangement

We have designated areas within the church to help us respect people's media preferences.

MAIN AUDITORIUM AND RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE OVERFLOW AUDITORIUM = MEDIA AREA

The main auditorium and the right hand side of the overflow auditorium is the Media Area.

If you are happy to be photographed, filmed and potentially appear in a livestream, please sit in the main auditorium or the right hand side of the overflow auditorium.

By choosing to sit in the Media Area after being given this information, you are choosing to participate in the area covered by our church media.

Please note that because of the size and layout of the auditorium, people seated in this area may appear in wide, close-up or general shots of the congregation.

3. MEDIA-FREE ZONE

If you do not want to appear in photographs, video recordings or livestreams, please sit in the designated Media-Free Zone and wear a NO MEDIA lanyard.

The Media Team will use the Media-Free Zone and visible NO MEDIA lanyards to identify people who should not intentionally be included in church photography, video or livestream footage.

LOCATION OF THE MEDIA-FREE ZONE

The Media-Free Zone is located upstairs, to your left-hand side of the Overflow Auditorium.

Please follow the signs directing you to this area.

4. PHOTOGRAPHS YES – LIVESTREAM/VIDEO NO

We recognise that some people are happy to have their photographs taken but do not want to appear in video or livestream footage.

If this is your preference:

You do not need to wear a lanyard.

Simply sit in the designated Media-Free Zone upstairs, to your left-hand side of the Overflow Auditorium.

For our Media Team, the arrangement is:

Media-Free Zone WITHOUT a lanyard = PHOTOGRAPHY YES / VIDEO & LIVESTREAM NO

This means you are indicating that you are happy to be photographed, but you do not wish to appear in video recordings or livestreams.

5. NO MEDIA

If you do not want to appear in either photographs or video/livestreams:

Wear the ‘NO MEDIA’ lanyard and sit in the Media-Free Zone.

The lanyard provides an additional visible indication to our Media Team that you do not wish to be intentionally photographed or filmed.

‘NO MEDIA’ LANYARD

PHOTOGRAPHY – NO
VIDEO – NO
LIVESTREAM – NO

6. Children

The same media-area arrangements apply to children.

We recognise that parents and guardians may have different preferences concerning photographs and video of their children.

For example:

Parent happy for child to be photographed, but not appear on livestream/video

The child should be seated in the designated Media-Free Zone WITHOUT a lanyard.

This indicates:

PHOTOGRAPHY – YES
VIDEO/LIVESTREAM – NO

Parent does not want child photographed or filmed

The child should be seated in the Media-Free Zone wearing a ‘NO MEDIA’ lanyard, where appropriate.

This indicates:

PHOTOGRAPHY – NO
VIDEO – NO
LIVESTREAM – NO

Parents and guardians should ensure that the Media Team is made aware of their preference for their children where necessary.

We will also continue to apply appropriate safeguarding measures to photography and filming involving children and young people.

7. What the Media Team will do

Our Media Team will:

Be aware of the designated Media-Free Zone.
Avoid intentionally filming people in the Media-Free Zone.
Pay attention to visible ‘NO MEDIA’ lanyards.
Avoid deliberately directing close-up shots at people who have indicated that they do not wish to be included.
Take reasonable care when moving cameras or taking photographs around the congregation.
Respect the stated media preferences of parents and guardians concerning children.
Where reasonably possible, correct or remove media where an individual has subsequently raised a valid objection or withdrawn their consent, subject to applicable data-protection requirements.

Because livestreaming and general congregation shots happen in real time, it may not always be technically possible to prevent every incidental appearance. Our arrangements are therefore designed to minimise this and provide a clear, practical way for people to choose whether to participate in the Media Area.

8. Withdrawing your preference

If your media preference changes, please speak to a member of the Welcome Team or Media Team.

You can move to the appropriate seating area and/or request the relevant lanyard.

If you have concerns about a photograph, video or livestream recording in which you appear, please contact us using the details provided below.

9. Your privacy

We take the privacy of our congregation, visitors and guests seriously.

Attendance at a church service may reveal information about a person's religious beliefs. We therefore take appropriate steps when processing photographs, video and livestream footage in accordance with applicable UK data-protection requirements.

Our media arrangements are designed to provide clear information before people enter or participate in the Media Area and to give people a practical alternative if they do not wish to appear in church media.

10. Questions or concerns

If you have any questions about photography, filming, livestreaming or your media preference, please speak to:

Welcome Team / Media Team

Email: info@rccgfog.com

QUICK GUIDE

Thank you for helping us respect everyone's preferences while allowing our church to share and celebrate what happens within our church community.