Last updated: 5/12/2025
Suffolk Animal Rescue
www.suffolkanimalrescue.org.uk
1. Introduction
Suffolk Animal Rescue (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you visit our website, make a donation, purchase a membership, comment on our site, or interact with us in any other way.
By using our website, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
2. Who We Are
Suffolk Animal Rescue
Website: www.suffolkanimalrescue.org.uk
Email: suffolkar@hotmail.com
Address: 5 Cherry Tree Lane, Debenham, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 6QT
We are the data controller responsible for your personal data.
3. Information We Collect
We collect information in the following ways:
3.1 Information You Provide Directly
This includes:
- Name
- Email address
- Postal address
- Phone number (optional)
- Donation amount and frequency
- Membership details
- Gift Aid declarations
- Messages sent through contact forms
- Comments left on posts
- Order details (for donations or memberships)
3.2 Payment Information
Payments for donations and memberships are processed securely by third-party processors, PayPal.
We do not see, store, or access your full card details.
3.3 Automatically Collected Information
When visiting our website, technical data may be collected, including:
- IP address
- Browser type
- Device information
- Pages visited
- Referral source
- Cookies (see Section 8)
3.4 Comments
When you leave a comment on our website:
- We collect the data shown in the comment form
- Your IP address and browser user agent are stored to help detect spam
- An anonymised string (hash) of your email address may be sent to the Gravatar service
4. How We Use Your Information
4.1 Donations
We use your information to:
- Process donations
- Provide confirmation emails and receipts
- Maintain financial records
- Meet legal and accounting requirements
- Process Gift Aid if you have opted in
4.2 Memberships
We use data to:
- Create and manage your membership account
- Process renewals
- Communicate essential membership information
- Provide member-related services
4.3 Gift Aid Processing
If you choose to add Gift Aid, we must collect and retain:
- Full name
- Home address
- Confirmation of UK taxpayer status
This information is used only for HMRC Gift Aid claims and compliance checks.
Gift Aid records must be retained for at least 6 years after the end of the accounting period in which your donation was made.
4.4 Communications
We may contact you regarding:
- Donation or membership confirmations
- Renewals
- Administrative or legal notices
- Responses to inquiries or requests
We will only send marketing emails if you have explicitly opted in.
4.5 Website Functionality
We use data to:
- Improve website performance
- Respond to comments or enquiries
- Prevent fraud and enhance security
- Analyse site traffic and user behaviour (e.g., via Google Analytics)
5. Legal Basis for Processing
We rely on one or more of the following legal bases:
- Contract – to process donations, memberships, or enquiries
- Legal obligation – accounting rules, Gift Aid requirements, fraud prevention
- Legitimate interests – improving our services, ensuring website security
- Consent – for marketing communications and certain cookies
6. Sharing Your Information
We may share your data with trusted third parties, including:
- Payment processors (Stripe, PayPal, etc.)
- Website hosting and IT security providers
- WooCommerce and WordPress services/plugins
- Accountants and auditors
- HMRC (for Gift Aid verification)
We never sell or trade your information.
7. Data Retention
We keep your data only as long as necessary:
- Donation and membership records: minimum 6 years (HMRC requirement)
- Gift Aid declarations: at least 6 years after the relevant accounting period
- WordPress comments: indefinitely, unless you request removal
- User accounts: for as long as your membership is active
- Contact form messages: until no longer needed to manage correspondence
After these periods, data is securely deleted or anonymised.
8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our WordPress website uses cookies for:
- Session management
- WooCommerce donation and membership functionality
- Keeping items in your basket
- Comment convenience (e.g., saving your name/email in the browser)
- Analytics (e.g., Google Analytics)
- Security and anti-spam tools
You can control cookies through your browser settings.
9. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access your personal data
- Request corrections
- Request deletion (where legally permitted)
- Restrict processing
- Object to processing
- Request data portability
- Withdraw consent (where consent is relied upon)
To exercise your rights, contact us at: suffolkar@hotmail.com
Some records (e.g., Gift Aid, financial transactions) cannot be deleted until legal retention periods have passed.
10. Security
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including:
- SSL encryption
- Secure payment processing
- Regular security updates
- Access control for sensitive data
However, no online system is ever 100% secure, and we encourage users to take reasonable precautions.
11. External Links
Our site may include links to third-party websites.
We are not responsible for their privacy practices or content.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy occasionally to reflect changes in legislation or our practices.
The latest version will always be available on this page.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this policy or how we process your data, please contact:
Suffolk Animal Rescue
Email: suffolkar@hotmail.com
Address: 5 Cherry Tree Lane, Debenham, Suffolk IP14 6QT