Terms and Conditions

Last updated: 20 June 2026

1. Introduction

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms", "Agreement") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User", "You", "Your") and Furness Whisper ("We", "Us", "Our", "Company") governing your use of the Furness Whisper website located at furness-whisper.uk ("Website", "Site", "Service") and all content, services, functionalities, features, applications, and materials made available through this website.

By accessing, browsing, using, or otherwise interacting with this website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions in their entirety. If you do not agree to these terms, you must immediately cease all use of this website and may not access or use any of its content or services.

These Terms apply to all visitors, users, and others who access or use the Service. Your continued use of the Service after any modifications to these Terms constitutes your acceptance of such modifications. We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time without prior notice.

This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect while you use the Service. We may terminate your access to all or any part of the Service at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice, effective immediately.

2. Use of Content

The content on Furness Whisper, including but not limited to text, graphics, images, photographs, videos, audio recordings, research materials, historical documents, articles, blog posts, stories, data, software, and all other materials ("Content") is provided for educational, informational, and non-commercial purposes only.

The articles, research, images, and materials published on this website are used with explicit written permission from the original copyright holders, and whilst Furness Whisper may not own all the content, it has been granted the lawful right to use, display, and distribute them under the terms of such permissions.

Permitted Uses:

• Reading and viewing content for personal educational purposes
• Sharing links to our content on social media platforms
• Engaging with content through comments and discussions
• Using content for academic research with proper attribution
• Printing content for personal, non-commercial use

Prohibited Uses:

• Copying, reproducing, or duplicating content without written permission
• Distributing, selling, or commercialising any content
• Creating derivative works based on our content
• Using content for commercial advertising or marketing
• Removing or altering watermarks, copyright notices, or attribution
• Using content to create competing websites or services
• Scraping, crawling, or automated collection of content

All images and materials are appropriately watermarked where necessary, in accordance with the permission granted for their use. Any unauthorised use of our content may result in legal action and claims for damages.

If you wish to use any content from this website for purposes other than those expressly permitted, you must obtain prior written consent from Furness Whisper and, where applicable, from the original copyright holders.

2A. Time Capsule and Presentation Terms

These additional terms apply to all Time Capsule and Presentation features, including uploads, editing, publishing, private/public visibility, and saved presentations.

Ownership and permissions:

• You must own the photographs you submit, or have clear legal permission to submit and display them.
• By uploading, you confirm that your submission does not infringe copyright, privacy, or other rights.
• You grant Furness Whisper a non-exclusive right to host, process, display, and format your submissions within site features.
• Reference numbers are used only to identify image records quickly when handling copyright, rights, takedown, or permission queries; a reference number does not indicate ownership.

Public and private visibility:

• Content uploaded through Time Capsule public upload controls is treated as public gallery content.
• Presentation uploads may be private by default unless you explicitly choose to make them public.
• Private items are intended for your own signed-in Presentation use and are not intended for general public browsing.
• If you choose to publish an item, it may appear in public Time Capsule contexts and related presentation filters.

Saved presentations and account data:

• Signed-in users may save presentations to their account and manage them (open, rename, delete).
• You remain responsible for maintaining your own backups, including optional file exports saved to your device.
• We may apply storage or technical limits where necessary for security, reliability, or service performance.

Moderation and removal:

• We may remove, hide, disable, or refuse content that appears unlawful, infringing, abusive, unsafe, or misleading.
• We may suspend or restrict access to user features where misuse or repeated policy breaches are identified.
• Where reasonably possible, we will review and respond to good-faith requests regarding ownership or usage disputes.

User responsibility:

• You are responsible for the accuracy of titles, stories, locations, and attribution/copyright details you submit.
• You must not upload unlawful, defamatory, hateful, harassing, or otherwise harmful material.
• You must keep your account credentials secure and are responsible for activity carried out under your account.

2B. Newstalgia Terms

Newstalgia is a feature that displays historic news stories from the Furness area, drawn from old newspapers and archives. Volunteers may contribute stories by creating a free Time Capsule account and submitting entries for review.

Submissions and approval:

• All Newstalgia submissions require admin approval before they appear on the public site.
• We may approve, reject, or request changes to submissions at our discretion.
• Rejected submissions may be removed from our systems, including any uploaded images.

Sources and copyright:

• You must source stories from legitimate archives (e.g. British Newspaper Archive) or other lawful sources.
• You are responsible for ensuring your submission does not infringe copyright or other rights.
• By submitting, you confirm you have the right to share the content and grant Furness Whisper permission to host, display, and format it within Newstalgia.

Accuracy and responsibility:

• You are responsible for the accuracy of dates, titles, locations, sources, and article text you submit.
• Images you upload must be owned by you or used with clear permission from the rights holder.
• We may remove or correct content that appears inaccurate, infringing, or otherwise inappropriate.

3. Data Privacy and GDPR Compliance

At Furness Whisper, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the confidentiality of any personal data you provide. We fully comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679, the Data Protection Act 2018, and all applicable data protection legislation in the United Kingdom.

No Email Sharing or Selling:

We do not share, sell, rent, lease, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties for commercial purposes. Any data you provide will be stored securely using industry-standard encryption and will not be sold, shared, or distributed to external organisations without your explicit consent, except as required by law.

Cookies and Local Storage:

We use essential cookies only. In particular, we use a necessary session cookie (PHPSESSID) to operate secure login/account features and core site security. We do not use advertising or third-party marketing tracking cookies.

We also use browser local storage for essential functionality and user preferences, including accessibility settings (for Dyslexia Support Tools) and Presentation Tools draft/saved state, so your settings and work can be remembered across pages.

Cloudflare Security, Analytics & Logs:

This site is delivered and protected by Cloudflare. Cloudflare provides:

• Unmetered application layer DDoS protection — Blocks large-scale attacks that try to overwhelm this site with traffic.
• IP-based rate limiting — Limits how many requests a single IP can make, reducing abuse and brute-force attempts.
• Web Application Firewall (WAF) — Blocks known exploits and vulnerabilities before they reach our servers.
• Bot detection and challenge — Identifies and challenges automated bots (e.g. scrapers, attackers) while letting real users through.
• Fast DNS — Resolves domain names quickly so this site loads sooner.
• Global CDN — Serves this site’s content from servers near the visitor for faster loading worldwide.
• Caching — Stores copies of public pages (e.g. homepage, history, news) at Cloudflare’s edge servers for a short time (typically a few minutes). When you request a cached page, Cloudflare serves it from the nearest edge location instead of our origin server, which speeds up page load time and reduces load on our servers. Only public, non-personalised content is cached; account pages and contact forms are not cached.
• Custom rules and WAF rules — Lets us add extra security rules to block or allow specific traffic.

Cloudflare may collect analytics and request logs (such as IP address, URL, timestamps, and similar technical data) as part of their security and performance services. This data is used to operate, secure, and improve the service. For details, see Cloudflare’s Privacy Policy.

Data Security Measures:

We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include but are not limited to:

• SSL/TLS encryption — All data transmission is encrypted using our own paid SSL certificate.
• Cloudflare protections — DDoS protection, Web Application Firewall (WAF), IP-based rate limiting, bot detection and challenge, global CDN, and custom security rules (see above).
• Content-Security-Policy (CSP) — Nonces on inline scripts to mitigate cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.
• Secure session cookies — HttpOnly, Secure, and SameSite=Lax to reduce session hijacking and cross-site request risks.
• CSRF protection — Token-based protection on forms (contact, login, and user submissions).
• Password hashing — Passwords are hashed with bcrypt before storage; we cannot view plain-text passwords.
• Session security — Session regeneration on login; sessions expire after inactivity for security.
• Brute-force protection — Rate limiting on login to slow repeated failed attempts.
• Parameterized SQL queries — Prepared statements to prevent SQL injection.
• Access controls and authentication — Secure login and account access for users.
• Secure server infrastructure — Regular security updates and maintenance.
• UK/EEA data hosting — Personal data stored and processed on private servers in the UK/EEA.
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Staff training on data protection principles

Data Retention:

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for account and service operation, and to meet legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. For Time Capsule and Presentation this may include username, email address, account records, and upload metadata (such as title, location, story text, copyright name and selected copyright colour). When no longer required, personal data is securely deleted or anonymised.

International Data Transfers:

All Time Capsule and account data is stored and processed on our own private servers in the UK/EEA. We do not transfer personal data outside the UK/EEA.

Account data is stored in a SQL database, and passwords are securely hashed (encrypted) before storage, so we cannot view users' plain-text passwords. For Time Capsule uploads, visible contributor details are limited to the provided name/username and copyright name where supplied.

By using this site, you acknowledge these privacy practices and your rights under GDPR, including the right to access, correct, or request deletion of your personal data.

4. Responsible Use of Information

The information shared on Furness Whisper is intended exclusively to foster the appreciation of local history and heritage through educational and research purposes. All content is provided for informational and academic use only. It is critically important that users understand and comply with the following restrictions:

Educational and Research Purposes Only:

All information, research findings, historical data, photographs, documents, and materials published on this website are intended solely for:

• Academic research and scholarly study
• Educational purposes and historical learning
• Community heritage appreciation and preservation
• Historical documentation and archival purposes
• Sharing knowledge with the community

No Unauthorised Activity on Protected Land:

STRICTLY PROHIBITED: The information shared on this site must not be used to locate, access, or engage in any unauthorised activities including but not limited to:

• Metal detecting on protected or scheduled sites
• Archaeological digging or excavation without proper permits
• Trespassing on private property or protected land
• Disturbing or damaging historical sites or monuments
• Removing artefacts or historical materials
• Commercial exploitation of historical information
• Using information to gain unauthorised access to restricted areas

Respect for Heritage and Legal Compliance:

You must respect and comply with all applicable local, national, and international laws, regulations, and guidelines related to archaeological and historical sites, including but not limited to:

• UK Heritage Protection Legislation
• Local Authority Planning and Conservation Regulations
• National Trust and English Heritage Guidelines
• Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
• Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
• International Heritage Protection Conventions

Environmental and Ecological Considerations:

Users must also consider and respect: wildlife protection and habitat preservation; environmental impact of any activities; seasonal restrictions and breeding periods; protected species and their habitats.

Professional Standards and Ethics:

When using our research for academic or professional purposes, you must adhere to: academic integrity and proper citation practices; professional archaeological and historical standards; ethical guidelines for heritage research; respect for cultural sensitivity and community values.

User Responsibility and Liability:

By accessing and using information from this website, you acknowledge and agree that: you are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws; you will not hold Furness Whisper liable for any legal consequences of misuse; you understand the potential legal implications of unauthorised activities; you will seek appropriate permissions before engaging in any field activities.

5. Legal Compliance

CRITICAL LEGAL NOTICE:

If you are using Furness Whisper to assist with any activity that may infringe upon the law, including but not limited to metal detecting, archaeological excavation, treasure hunting, or any other activity without proper legal consent, permits, or authorisation, you may be committing criminal offences under UK law. You are solely responsible for ensuring that you comply with all relevant laws, regulations, and legal requirements.

Legal Framework and Criminal Offences:

The following UK legislation contains specific criminal offences that may apply to activities using information from this website:

• Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 (Section 2(1)): It is a criminal offence to carry out any unauthorised work on a Scheduled Monument, including metal detecting, digging, excavating, or disturbing the ground. Penalty: On summary conviction, fine up to £5,000; on indictment, unlimited fine and/or up to 2 years imprisonment.
• Treasure Act 1996 (Section 8): Finds that meet the definition of Treasure must be reported to the coroner within 14 days. Failure to report can result in criminal charges. Penalty: Up to 7 years imprisonment and/or unlimited fine.
• Theft Act 1968 (Section 1): Detecting or working on land without the owner's permission may constitute theft if items are removed. Penalty: Up to 7 years imprisonment for theft; up to 14 years for aggravated theft.
• Criminal Damage Act 1971 (Section 1): Damaging land or historic structures may result in charges of criminal damage. Penalty: Up to 10 years imprisonment and/or unlimited fine.
• Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988 (Section 16): Our research is protected by copyright law. Unauthorised use constitutes copyright infringement. Penalty: Up to 10 years imprisonment and/or unlimited fine for criminal copyright infringement.

Additional relevant legislation includes: Protection of Badgers Act 1992; Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000; Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990; Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Legal Advice and Compliance:

If you are unsure about the legality of any activity, you must: seek independent legal advice before proceeding; obtain all necessary permissions and permits; consult with relevant authorities and landowners; ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

DISCLAIMER: Furness Whisper does not provide legal advice and accepts no responsibility for any legal consequences arising from the use of information on this website. Users are solely responsible for ensuring their activities comply with all applicable laws.

6. Disclaimer

Whilst we make every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information, I welcome and encourage feedback. If you notice an error or believe that something is missing or incorrect, please feel free to reach out. I believe that learning is a two-way process, and I appreciate the opportunity to grow from feedback.

History is subjective, and everyone brings a unique perspective. I encourage respectful debates and exchanges of ideas, as long as all participants approach the conversation with kindness and mutual respect.

By engaging with this website and its content, you agree to approach discussions in a spirit of respect, and refrain from any form of aggression or hostility.

7. User Obligations

As a user of this website, you agree to:

• Use the website for lawful purposes only.
• Refrain from using any content for commercial or illegal purposes.
• Respect the intellectual property and privacy rights of others.
• Not engage in any activity that disrupts or interferes with the website's operations or compromises its security.
• Ensure any content you post or share does not violate any laws, rights of others, or these terms.

8. Limitations of Liability

Furness Whisper makes every effort to ensure the information provided is accurate. However, the website and all content are provided "as is" and Furness Whisper makes no warranties, expressed or implied, regarding the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the information.

You agree that Furness Whisper will not be held responsible for any losses, damages, or legal actions arising from your use of the website or any reliance on the content provided.

9. Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual property rights for content on Furness Whisper remain with the original owner or rights holder. This includes site content (such as text, images, videos, and research) and user-submitted Time Capsule, Presentation, and Newstalgia content.

When users upload content, users keep their own copyright (or the original owner's copyright remains in place) and ownership does not transfer to Furness Whisper. By uploading, users confirm they own the content or have clear permission from the rights holder, and grant Furness Whisper permission to store, display, and share that content only within the website features they choose (for example, private Presentation use or public Time Capsule display).

No content from this website may be reproduced, distributed, or modified without prior written permission from the relevant copyright owner or rights holder.

10. Third-Party Links

This website may contain links to third-party websites that are not controlled by Furness Whisper. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of any third-party sites, and your interaction with these sites is subject to their terms and conditions.

11. Non-Profit Operation

Furness Whisper is a free, non-profit website operated solely for educational purposes and to share the history and heritage of the local area. All content on this website is and will always remain completely free and accessible to everyone.

12. Governing Law

These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United Kingdom. Any disputes arising from these terms will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the UK courts.

13. Modifications

Furness Whisper reserves the right to update or modify these Terms and Conditions at any time. Any changes will be posted on this page, and your continued use of the website will constitute your acceptance of those changes.

14. Contact Information

For questions regarding these Terms and Conditions, please contact us through our Furness Whisper contact page.

By using this website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.