Privacy policy


This Privacy Policy describes how your personal information is collected, used, and shared when you visit or make a purchase from shoptwmuseums.co.uk (the “Site”).


1. Who we are

TWAM Enterprises Ltd (TWAMe)

TWAM Enterprises Limited (CRN 10940488) manages some commercial activities for North East Museums such as retailing, catering and venue hire. Its purpose is to enable North East Museums to capitalise on the expertise it has already developed in relation to commercial activity.



2. The personal information we collect

When you visit the Site, we automatically collect certain information about your device, including information about your web browser, IP address, time zone, and some of the cookies that are installed on your device. Additionally, as you browse the Site, we collect information about the individual web pages or products that you view, what websites or search terms referred you to the Site, and information about how you interact with the Site. We refer to this automatically-collected information as Device Information.

We collect Device Information using the following technologies:

  • Cookies are data files that are placed on your device or computer and often include an anonymous unique identifier. For more information about cookies, and how to disable cookies, visit https://www.allaboutcookies.org.
  • Log files track actions occurring on the Site, and collect data including your IP address, browser type, Internet service provider, referring/exit pages, and date/time stamps.
  • Web beacons, tags, and pixels are electronic files used to record information about how you browse the Site.


Additionally, when you make a purchase or attempt to make a purchase through the Site, we collect certain information from you, including your name, billing address, shipping address, payment information (including debit/credit card numbers), email address, and phone number. We refer to this information as Order Information.

When we talk about Personal Information in this Privacy Policy, we are talking both about Device Information and Order Information.



3. How do we use your personal information?

We use the Order Information that we collect generally to fulfil any orders placed through the Site (including processing your payment information, arranging for delivery, and providing you with invoices and order confirmations). Additionally, we use this Order Information to:

  • Communicate with you
  • Screen our orders for potential risk or fraud
  • When in line with the preferences you have shared with us, provide you with information or advertising relating to our products or services.


We use the Device Information that we collect to help us screen for potential risk and fraud (in particular, your IP address), and more generally to improve and optimise our Site (for example, by generating analytics about how our customers browse and interact with the Site, and to assess the success of our marketing and advertising campaigns).



4. Sharing your personal information

TWAMe may share your information with the below organisations, in order to continue to improve our understanding of our target audiences and of our supporters. This is with a view to providing world class, transformative, visitor-focused experiences, customer service and educational engagement, and to look at ways in which we might in the future use the latest technologies to improve and personalise the services that we offer.


North East Museums

North East Museums is a major regional museum, art gallery and archives service which manages a collection of nine museums and galleries across Tyneside. It is not an incorporated body. It is supported by the five local authorities of the area (Newcastle City Council, Gateshead Council, North Tyneside Council, South Tyneside Council) and Newcastle University. Newcastle City Council is the lead authority. North East Museums holds collections of international importance in archives, art, science and technology, archaeology, military and social history, fashion and natural sciences.

You can find a link to North East Museums’s privacy notice here:  https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/privacy-policy


TWAM Development Trust

TWAM Development Trust (TWAMDT) is a company limited by guarantee, number 7334262 and which is registered with the Charity Commissioner under charity number 1137867.

The Trust carries out its objectives by raising funds from individual donors, trust and foundations to support a wide variety of museum activities. In doing so, the Trust is able to help North East Museums achieve its strategic vision of ensuring everyone has access to museum provision, are able to use this access and to value it for the significant and positive impact that it makes upon their lives.

TWAMe will share data with TWAMDT if you make a donation to TWAMDT via shoptwmuseums.co.uk You may also be asked whether you wish to Gift Aid your donation. If you do, your name and address will be shared with Gift Aid for processing purposes but not for marketing purposes.

You can find TWAM Development Trust’s privacy notice here: https://twmuseums.org.uk/governance/twam-development-trust-privacy-notice


Other parties

We share your Personal Information with third parties to help us use your Personal Information, as described above. For example, we use Shopify to power our online store. You can read more about how Shopify uses your Personal Information here: https://www.shopify.com/legal/privacy.

We also use Google Analytics to help us understand how our customers use the Site. You can read more about how Google uses your Personal Information here: https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/.

You can also opt-out of Google Analytics here: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Finally, we may also share your Personal Information to comply with applicable laws and regulations, to respond to a subpoena, search warrant or other lawful request for information we receive, or to otherwise protect our rights.



5. Behavioural advertising

As described above, we use your Personal Information to provide you with targeted advertisements or marketing communications we believe may be of interest to you. For more information about how targeted advertising works, you can visit the Network Advertising Initiative’s (“NAI”) educational page at https://www.networkadvertising.org/understanding-online-advertising/how-does-it-work.

You can opt out of targeted advertising by using the links below:


Additionally, you can opt out of some of these services by visiting the Digital Advertising Alliance’s opt-out portal at: https://optout.aboutads.info/.



6. Do not track

Please note that we do not alter our Site’s data collection and use practices when we see a Do Not Track signal from your browser.



7. Your rights

If you are a European resident, you have the right to access personal information we hold about you and to ask that your personal information be corrected, updated, or deleted. If you would like to exercise this right, please contact us through the contact information below.

Additionally, if you are a European resident we note that we are processing your information in order to fulfil contracts we might have with you (for example if you make an order through the Site), or otherwise to pursue our legitimate business interests listed above. Additionally, please note that your information will be transferred outside of Europe, including to Canada and the United States.



8. Data retention

When you place an order through the Site, we will maintain your Order Information for our records unless and until you ask us to delete this information.



9. Changes

We may update this privacy policy from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to our practices or for other operational, legal or regulatory reasons. You are advised to visit this page periodically in order to keep up to date with any changes. By continuing to use our services you will be deemed to have accepted such changes



10. Complaints, enquiries and feedback

TWAMe endeavours to meet the highest standards when collecting and using personal information. We will not unduly prioritise our interests as an organisation over your interests as an individual. We will always aim to balance our interests with your rights. We will only use personal information in a way and for a purpose that you would reasonably expect in accordance with this notice.

For these reasons, we take any complaints we receive very seriously. We encourage people to bring it to our attention if they think that our collection or use of information is unfair, misleading or inappropriate. We would also welcome any suggestions for improving our procedures.

Complaints and enquiries about, or suggestions for improvements to our data protection processes should be directed to TWAMe using the contact details provided below.



11. How to contact us

If you wish to make a complaint, request further explanation about any issues relating to this privacy notice, or make a suggestion for improving our processes relating to the way we use personal data, then please direct your request to shop@twmuseums.org.uk or the following address:


TWAM Enterprises Ltd
Discovery Museum
Blandford Square
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyne and Wear
NE1 4JA


If you wish to request a copy of all or part of your personal information held by TWAMe by making a subject access request you can do this via the address above or by email to: CorpGov@twmuseums.org.uk.