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Privacy Policy

Last updated: 1 March 2026

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1. About These Terms

This Privacy Policy explains how ProGenMatch (“we”, “us”) collects, uses, stores and shares your personal data when you use our website (www.progenmatch.com) or our matching service.


We are committed to handling your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. ProGenMatch is the data controller for the purposes of this Policy. Where clients are based in the European Union, we also comply with EU General Data Protection Regulation.

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ProGenMatch is a trading name of Gemma Ward, trading address 61 Bridge Street, Kington, HR5 3DJ.

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2. What Data We Collect

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2.1 Clients

When you submit a research request, we collect:

  • Your name and email address;

  • Details of your research request, including names of family members and relevant locations or time periods;

  • Your stated research budget;

  • Any other personal information you choose to include in your research brief.

 

Your research brief may incidentally contain special category data (such as health information, ethnic origin, or religious records relating to ancestors). We collect this only to the extent you choose to include it in your request.

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2.2 Genealogists

When you apply to join our network, we collect:

  • Your name and contact details;

  • Your professional qualifications and memberships;

  • Your geographic and subject specialisms;

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This information is held by ProGenMatch for matching purposes only and is not displayed publicly.

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2.3 Contact Form

If you contact us via the website contact form, we collect your name, email address and the content of your message. This information is used solely to respond to your enquiry. General contact messages are deleted once the enquiry is resolved and no further action is needed, ordinarily within a few weeks. Where a message relates to a complaint, we retain the exchange for up to six months in case the matter resurfaces, after which it is deleted.

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2.4 Website Visitors and Cookies

The ProGenMatch website is hosted by Wix. ProGenMatch does not itself set any cookies. When you visit the website, Wix may set cookies as part of their hosting platform — for example to ensure the site functions correctly. We have no control over these cookies. They are governed entirely by Wix’s own privacy and cookie policies, available at www.wix.com/about/privacy. If you wish to manage or block cookies, you can do so through your browser settings, though this may affect how the website functions.

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3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:
•    To provide the matching service — matching clients with suitable genealogists;
•    To communicate with you about your request or application;
•    To share your details with a matched genealogist (for clients) or a matched client (for genealogists);
•    To collect feedback from clients approximately one month after an introduction has been made, and to pass that feedback to the matched genealogist;
•    To manage and improve our service;
•    To comply with legal obligations.​

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4. Legal Basis for Processing

We rely on the following legal bases under the UK GDPR:
•    Contract — processing necessary to provide the matching service you have requested;
•    Legitimate interests — to operate and improve our business, prevent fraud, and maintain the security of our platform;
•    Legal obligation — where we are required to process data to comply with law;
•    Consent — where we ask for and you provide consent, for example for marketing communications.

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For special category data that may be included in a research brief, we rely on your explicit consent, which is given when you submit the form.

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5. Sharing Your Data

We share your personal data only as follows:
•    With one or more genealogists in our network during the matching process. Only the genealogist who accepts the introduction will receive your name and email address. All others will only have seen your research brief;
•    With third-party service providers who help us operate our website (e.g. hosting, analytics), who are contractually obliged to handle data securely;
•    With regulatory authorities or law enforcement if required by law.

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We do not sell your personal data to third parties.
 

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6. Data Retention

We retain client data (name, email address and research brief) for approximately two months — long enough to make the introduction and follow up for feedback around one month later. Once feedback has been collected and passed to the genealogist, the research brief, name and email address are deleted. We retain a minimal record (name, date of request, and genealogist matched) for up to six months in case of any query about whether an introduction was made, after which this too is deleted.

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Genealogist profile data is retained while you remain on the network and for six months following removal.

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Contact form messages and any complaints correspondence - whether received via the contact form or from a matched client - are deleted once the matter has been resolved and no further action is required. Data that is no longer needed will be securely deleted or anonymised.

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7. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you;

  • Rectify inaccurate or incomplete data;

  • Erase your data (“the right to be forgotten”) in certain circumstances;

  • Restrict or object to processing;

  • Data portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format;

  • Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

 

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us via www.progenmatch.com/contact. We will respond within one month.

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8. Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss or disclosure. These include encrypted data transmission and secure hosting environments.

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9. International Transfers

Our website is hosted by Wix, a US-based company. Data submitted through the website may be processed on servers located outside the UK. We do not control this. Wix is required to maintain appropriate safeguards for such transfers under their own data processing terms, which you can review at www.wix.com/about/privacy.

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10. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, please contact us in the first instance via www.progenmatch.com/contact. We will acknowledge your complaint, make appropriate enquiries, and inform you of the outcome. This complaints process is provided in accordance with our obligations under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

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You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk.

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11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post any changes on this page with an updated date.

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12. Contact Us

For any data protection queries, please contact us at www.progenmatch.com/contact.

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