Privacy Policy

Oak Tree Animals' Charity is committed to protecting your privacy.

Supporter Privacy

Your privacy is of upmost importance to us. Oak Tree Animals’ Charity takes your privacy very seriously. We are committed to protecting your personal information, and we never sell data.

This privacy statement outlines how Oak Tree uses the information that you provide us with in order to help further our work with helping local animals in need. 

For a full copy of our PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY, please email info@oaktreeanimals.org.uk

Who we are

By Oak Tree Animals’ Charity (the data controller) we mean:
The charity, Oak Tree Animals’ Charity (registered charity numbers 1169511 / SC048389

Oak Tree Animals’ Charity also trades under OTAC Trading Ltd which is a wholly owned trading subsidiary company of the Charity. Company Limited by Guarantee 10404912 Registered in England and Wales.

For any enquires regarding Data protection, please call 01228 560082.

Your information – why we need it and what we do with it

Oak Tree Animals’ Charity collects information from supporters in several different ways, as outlined here:

  • For adoption purposes: When a supporter registers interest in adopting a dog or cat from Oak Tree, we obtain information relevant to this application, such as the breed and age of the animal you may be looking for. We will also record information you submit about your home which is relevant to the type of pet you are hoping to adopt.
  • If you engage with one of our community programmes or campaigns we will require contact details and other information relevant to your application.
  • If you are a financial supporter of Oak Tree, by becoming a regular giver, which includes being a member of our sponsor an animal programme, or through responding to a direct mail campaign or our biannual newsletter, we will ask you for information that enables us to administer your donation. This will typically include information such as your name, contact details such as address, email or telephone number and your payment details and Gift Aid status. 

If you give occasional gifts we entitle ‘one-off’ donations, we will also require your contact details as stated above which will form part of our record of communications with you.

The Data Protection Act gives rights to individuals in respect of the personal data that organisations hold about them. The Act says that Personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects under this Act.

This is the sixth data protection principle, and the rights of individuals that it refers to are:

  • a right of access to a copy of the information comprised in their personal data;
  • a right to object to processing that is likely to cause or is causing damage or distress;
  • a right to prevent processing for direct marketing;
  • a right to object to decisions being taken by automated means;
  • a right in certain circumstances to have inaccurate personal data rectified, blocked, erased or destroyed; and
  • a right to claim compensation for damages caused by a breach of the Act. 

How the law applies to Oak Tree’s use of personal information

Oak Tree will only process your personal information if we have:

  • asked you and have a record of your express and recent consent for us to do so;
  • a ‘Legitimate Interest’ to do so in order to support our charitable purposes. Our use will be fair and balanced and never unduly have an impact on your rights;
  • a contract with you that can only be fulfilled by applying your personal information, e.g. to send you an article that you have requested;
  • a legal obligation to use or disclose information about you, e.g. we are obliged by law to keep records of gifts that are donated to us with Gift Aid for 4 years; and we are compelled to disclose information relating to incidents involving dangerous dogs for insurance purposes under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

In extreme situations, such as a medical emergency, we might share your personal details with the emergency services if it is essential for the preservation of life (yours or another persons’). This is the ‘vital interest’ grounds for using your personal information. We will always try to advise you about how we had to use your information in that extreme situation.

We will not improperly prioritise our interests as a charity over your interests as an individual. We will always balance our interests with your rights. We will only use personal information for a purpose and in a way that you would reasonably expect in accordance with our Policy.

Oak Tree will never rent, swap or sell your personal information to any other organisation.

How long do we retain your personal data?

As a supporter of Oak Tree, we believe you are fully committed to our mission as a charity and want to continue hearing about ways you can help local animals in need. As of May 2018, we will not keep any personal information you have provided us for longer than we specify below.

Lifetime Support to Oak Tree

For supporters who have pledged to leave us a gift in your will – we need to keep your information to safeguard your wishes.

Oak Tree Rehomer

These are supporters who have rehomed a dog, cat or horse from Oak Tree. Based on the average life expectancy of each species, Oak Tree believes the rehomer would like to remain in contact with the charity throughout the animals’ lifetime, and therefore we will keep your personal information to allow for this as follows:

  • Rehomers of cats: 15 years
  • Rehomers of dogs: 15 years
  • Rehomers of equines: 30 years

(unless you tell us otherwise)

Financial Supporters of Oak Tree

These are people who support us with financial gifts. A supporter’s pattern of giving can alter over a period of time. It may be that a person chooses to sponsor an animal for three years on a regular monthly basis, but, due to a change in financial circumstances, alters their giving to reflect this and may give a one-off donation every two years. 

Irrespective of a supporter’s financial circumstances, the same principles and values are applied to all givers, and you continue to be connected to Oak Tree throughout your lifetime of support. We believe that people engaged with Oak Tree and our mission, never cease believing in the importance of helping local animals in need. That said, we will remove any personal information of supporters after 7 years from the time of the last donation, unless you tell us otherwise.

Consent:

If you have provided us with your consent (otherwise known as ‘opting in’), we will contact you with information via the means you have opted to hear from us. For example, you may opt to receive our biannual newsletter or monthly e-news. There may be products you have opted to receive (such as our shop catalogue and grand draw tickets), services (such as our community work) and ways you can continue supporting us (such as fundraising). You may have submitted a photograph and message to our Never Forgotten or Happy Endings page, or you may submit your details through our Fundraisers Blog.

This contact may be made by post, email or telephone depending on your preferences.

To ensure we keep up to date with your wishes, we will continue to ask for your marketing preferences wherever it is appropriate.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by calling 01228 560082, or by emailing info@oaktreeanimals.org.uk

For a full copy of our PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY, please email info@oaktreeanimals.org.uk

Website Use

Cookies

When you interact with the Site, we try to make that experience simple and meaningful. When you visit our Site, our web server sends a cookie to your computer or mobile device (as the case may be).  Cookies are small pieces of information which are issued to your computer or device when you visit a website or access or use a mobile application and which store and sometimes track information about your use of the Site. A number of cookies we use last only for the duration of your Site session and expire when you close your browser. Other cookies are used to remember you when you return to the Site and will last for longer.

We use only “analytical” cookies in order to:

  • remember that you have visited us before; this means we can identify the number of unique visitors we receive;
  • customise elements of the promotional layout and/or content of the pages of the Site; and
  • collect anonymous statistical information about how you use the Site (including how long you spend on the Site) and where you have come to the Site from, so that we can improve the Site and learn which parts of the Site are most popular.

Most web and mobile device browsers automatically accept cookies but, if you prefer, you can change your browser to prevent that or to notify you each time a cookie is set.  You can also learn more about cookies by visiting www.allaboutcookies.org which includes additional useful information on cookies and how to block cookies using different types of browser or mobile device. Please note, however, that by blocking or deleting cookies used on the Site, you may not be able to take full advantage of the Site.

By accessing Oak Tree’s website you are consenting to the way information is collected and used, as described within our Privacy Policy. In return, Oak Tree Animals’ Charity commits to protecting and not selling your data.

Making changes to your data:

Remember it is always your choice as to whether you hear from us or not. Should you wish to update your preferences at any time, please contact us on 01228 560082, or email info@oaktreeanimals.org.uk

 

This information was last updated in May 2018. We may, from time to time, amend the information on this page. The revised information will apply from the date it is posted on our website, and updated within the full version of the Personal Data Protection Policy.