BonsaiMash_logo

Bonsai (noun): Meaning: Bonsai is an ancient Japanese horticultural art form that involves cultivating miniature trees or shrubs, mimicking the shape and scale of full-sized trees.

The word is derived from the Japanese “bon” (tray or pot) and “sai” (plant).

Pronunciation: /bɒnˈsaɪ/ (bon-sigh)

Privacy Policy

This privacy policy explains how Bonsai Mash collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you visit bonsaimash.com or get in touch with us. We have written it in plain English because we think that is how it should be. If you have any questions about it, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.

This policy was last updated in May 2025 and reflects the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

Who We Are

Bonsai Mash is a passion project created and operated by Rob Wyborn, founder of MediaFresh, a web design and development company based in the United Kingdom.

  • Data controller: Rob Wyborn
  • Trading as: MediaFresh / Bonsai Mash
  • Website: bonsaimash.com
  • Contact: mediafresh.co.uk

As the data controller, Rob is responsible for deciding how and why your personal data is used.

What Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that you actively provide to us or that is gathered automatically through standard website technology. This includes the following.

Data you provide directly

  • Your name and email address if you contact us through our contact form or by email
  • Any information you choose to include in a message you send us
  • Your email address if you subscribe to any newsletter or mailing list we operate

Data collected automatically

  • Your IP address and browser type, collected through standard web server logs
  • Pages visited, time spent on the site, and how you arrived at the site, collected through website analytics (see the Cookies section below)

We do not collect sensitive personal data such as health information, financial details, or information about your ethnicity, religion, or political views.

Why We Collect Your Data and Our Lawful Basis for Doing So

Under UK GDPR, we are required to have a lawful basis for every type of personal data processing we carry out. Here is how that applies to the data we collect.

Responding to your enquiry or message

When you contact us through the website, we use your name and email address to respond to your message. Our lawful basis for this is legitimate interests: it is reasonable for us to use your contact details to reply to a message you have sent us, and doing so does not override your rights or interests.

Sending a newsletter or updates

If you sign up to receive emails from us, we will use your email address to send you the content you have requested. Our lawful basis for this is consent: you have actively opted in by submitting your email address for this purpose. You can withdraw your consent and unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email we send you.

Website analytics

We use analytics tools to understand how visitors use our website, which pages are most useful, and where we can improve. Our lawful basis for this is legitimate interests: understanding how our site performs helps us make it more useful, and we take care to use analytics in a privacy-friendly way. Where analytics involves non-essential cookies, we will ask for your consent first.

How Long We Keep Your Data

We keep your data only for as long as it is necessary for the purpose it was collected.

  • Contact form enquiries: We retain correspondence for up to 12 months, after which it is deleted unless there is an ongoing reason to keep it.
  • Newsletter subscribers: We retain your email address for as long as you remain subscribed. When you unsubscribe, your details are removed promptly.
  • Analytics data: Aggregated and anonymised analytics data may be retained indefinitely as it cannot be used to identify individuals.

Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell your personal data to anyone, ever. We do not share your data with third parties for marketing purposes.

We may use trusted third-party services to operate the website, and in doing so those services may process your data on our behalf. These include the following.

  • Web hosting provider: The server on which bonsaimash.com is hosted will process data as part of normal website operation.
  • Email newsletter platform: If you subscribe to our mailing list, your email address will be held by the email marketing platform we use to send newsletters. We only use reputable, GDPR-compliant providers for this purpose.
  • Analytics provider: We use a website analytics service to understand how the site is used. Where this involves personal data, we ensure the service is configured to comply with UK GDPR requirements.

Where any of these providers are based outside the UK, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place for any data transfer, in line with UK GDPR requirements.

Cookies

Cookies are small text files that websites place on your device to help them work properly and to collect information about how they are used. Bonsaimash.com uses cookies in the following ways.

  • Strictly necessary cookies: These are required for the website to function and cannot be switched off. They do not collect personal data and do not require your consent.
  • Analytics cookies: These help us understand how visitors use the site. We will ask for your consent before placing these cookies. You can change your cookie preferences at any time.

If you would like more detail about the specific cookies used on this site, please contact us and we will provide it.

Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These are listed below, along with a brief explanation of what each one means in practice.

  • The right to be informed: You have the right to know how your data is being used. This privacy policy fulfils that obligation.
  • The right of access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. We will respond within one month.
  • The right to rectification: If any personal data we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you can ask us to correct it.
  • The right to erasure: You can ask us to delete your personal data. We will do so unless we have a legal obligation to retain it.
  • The right to restrict processing: You can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
  • The right to data portability: Where your data was provided by you and processed by consent or contract, you can ask us to provide it in a portable format.
  • The right to object: You can object to us processing your data where we rely on legitimate interests as our lawful basis. We will stop unless we can demonstrate compelling grounds to continue.
  • Rights in relation to automated decision-making: We do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us directly. You will not be charged for making a request, and we will respond within one month of receiving it.

How We Protect Your Data

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. Our website uses HTTPS encryption. We only share data with third-party providers that we trust and that are themselves compliant with applicable data protection law.

No method of data transmission over the internet is completely secure. While we do our best to protect your data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Links to Other Websites

Our website may contain links to other websites, including mediafresh.co.uk and external resources we recommend. This privacy policy applies only to bonsaimash.com. If you follow a link to another site, we encourage you to read that site’s own privacy policy.

Children’s Privacy

Bonsai Mash is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time, for example if our data practices change or if there are changes in the law that affect us. Any updates will be published on this page with a revised date at the top. If we make significant changes, we will take reasonable steps to let you know.

How to Complain

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, please contact us in the first instance and we will do our best to resolve things. If you remain unsatisfied, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK’s data protection authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

  • ICO website: ico.org.uk
  • ICO helpline: 0303 123 1113

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, want to exercise any of your data rights, or simply want to know more about how we handle your information, please get in touch.

We are real people and we will always respond personally.