Privacy and Data Protection

The Starlight Trust is committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of our supporters and visitors to our website. We will only ever collect information about you as necessary to carry out our day to day operations and meet our objectives. We won’t be plaguing you with donation requests or selling your info to marketers. The Privacy Policy below sets out in more detail what we’ll collect and why but if you have any questions not answered here, please feel free to get in touch and ask.

What information is being collected and how?

In general, we only collect the information you provide in the form you submit. In the case of those applying to adopt from or volunteer with us, we may also conduct checks such as looking at social media and forum posts, to gain a sense of who you are and your history with animals. The results of these searches will be saved by us along with your submitted information.

Why is it being collected and how will it be used?

We collect information from the following groups for the following reasons

• From those who surrender animals to us, to ensure a complete history on the animal and enter into a contract concerning the future care of the animals
• From those who apply to adopt animals from us, in order to check their suitability as a home, keep in touch with the animals after adoption, and enter into a contract concerning the future care of the animals
• From those who support our work through donations, in order to thank them for their support, and claim gift aid where applicable
• From those who apply to volunteer with us, in order to check their suitability as a volunteer, keep in touch with them to provide tasking and information, and enter into a contract regarding their conduct and access to the information we hold

We will not use the information collected from the categories above to send donation or fundraising requests. A separate, opt-in mailing list will be maintained and recipients will be sent a quarterly newsletter giving updates about our work. This may, on occasion, include details of fundraising appeals.

The legal basis for this processing is

In regard to adoption applications, surrenders and volunteer applications, the performance of a contract between you and Starlight Trust and/or the trust taking steps, at your request, to enter into such a contract.

In regard to those who support our work, our legitimate interests in managing our relationships and communicating with supporters, and claiming gift aid on donations.

In regard to our mailing list, specific consent will be obtained to contact those who sign up

Will information be shared with anyone else?

If we are contacted by another rehoming charity in the future asking for a reference or our view on your suitability to adopt one or some of their animals, we would share our views but none of your contact information. We will never share your contact information or sell your details for marketing purposes and we promise to keep your information safe and secure.

Retaining Information

Personal data that we process will not be kept for longer than is necessary. In general, data will be retained

• As a minimum, for as long as our relationship or contract with you is ongoing
• As a maximum, for ten years following our last contact with you

Your rights

You are entitled to

• Access the personal data we hold
• Have any inaccurate data about you rectified
• Have your data erased in some circumstances
• Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you consider that our processing of your data infringes data protection laws.

Please email any data requests to contact@starlighttrust.org.uk.

The trust is committed to ensuring that personal data is dealt with in line with relevant laws. We will ensure personal data will:

• Only be accessed by a small number of volunteers all of whom have agreed to process the data in accordance with our Privacy and Data Protection Policies.
• Be obtained fairly and lawfully and shall not be processed unless certain conditions are met
• Be obtained for a specific and lawful purpose
• Be adequate, relevant but not excessive
• Be accurate and kept up to date
• Not be held longer than necessary
• Be processed in accordance with the rights of the data subject
• Be subject to appropriate security measures
• Not be transferred outside of the European Economic Area (EEA)

The trust will take steps to ensure that personal data is kept secure at all times against unauthorised loss or disclosure.

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