Last Updated: 14th of January 2025

Who we are

Our website address is: https://www.bestcharityever.co.uk.

What personal data do we collect and why do we collect it?

Comments

When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

An anonymised string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service Privacy Policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Media

No visitors are permitted to upload images to the website. Additionally, users are not allowed to download or extract any images from the site. We do not accept any responsibility for any misuse of images by unauthorized individuals.

Contact forms

Cookies

If you leave a comment on our site you may opt in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.

If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.

When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.

If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.

Embedded content from other websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Analytics

We use analytics services to better understand how visitors engage with our website and to improve the user experience. These services collect information about your visit, such as which pages you view, how long you spend on the site, and what links you click on. This data is anonymized and aggregated, meaning it cannot be used to identify you personally.
If you consent to analytics cookies, this data is collected and processed according to the privacy policy of the analytics provider. For more details about the specific analytics tools we use and their policies, please refer to [provider name(s)]’s privacy policy.

You can manage your preferences for analytics cookies via our cookie consent banner at any time.

Who we share your data with

We take your privacy seriously and only share data with third parties when absolutely necessary to provide our services or meet legal obligations. This includes:

  • Service Providers: We may share your data with trusted third-party providers that help us operate our website, process donations, or analyze website usage (e.g., payment processors, hosting providers, and analytics services). These providers are bound by strict confidentiality agreements.
  • Legal Compliance: We may disclose your data if required by law, such as in response to a legal request or to comply with legal obligations.
  • Charitable Purposes: In some cases, anonymized data may be shared with partners or organizations we collaborate with to further our charitable goals.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties.

If you have any concerns or questions about how your data is shared, please contact us at info@bestcharityever.co.uk

How long we retain your data

If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognise and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

For users who register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.

What rights do you have over your data

If you have an account on this site or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

Where do we send your data?

Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.

Your contact information

When you provide your contact information to us, such as your name, email address, phone number, or postal address, it is used solely for the purposes you consented to, such as:

  • Responding to inquiries or requests submitted through our website or other communication channels.
  • Sending updates about our charitable causes, campaigns, or events if you have opted in to receive them.
  • Processing donations and issuing receipts or acknowledgements.

We take appropriate measures to ensure that your contact information is stored securely and only accessible to authorized personnel.

If you wish to update, correct, or remove your contact information, or if you have any concerns about how your information is being used, please contact us at info@bestcharityever.co.uk

Additional information

How we protect your data

We take the protection of your data seriously and have implemented several measures to safeguard it against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse, including:

  • Data Encryption: We use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to encrypt any data transferred through our website.
  • Access Control: Personal data is restricted to authorized personnel only, ensuring that it is handled securely.
  • Regular Security Audits: We conduct routine checks to identify and address any vulnerabilities.
  • Secure Hosting: Our website is hosted on a secure server with advanced security protocols.
  • Staff Training: Our team is trained in data protection best practices to ensure compliance with laws and guidelines.

However, it’s important to note that while we implement these measures, no method of online transmission or electronic storage is completely secure. If a data breach occurs, we have processes in place to respond promptly and inform affected individuals as required by law.

If you have any questions about our data protection practices, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@bestcharityever.co.uk.

What data breach procedures do we have in place?

In the event of a data breach, we take immediate and appropriate action to protect the rights and freedoms of individuals whose data may be affected. Our data breach procedures include the following steps:

  1. Detection and Containment:
    We actively monitor our systems for any suspicious activities. Once a breach is detected, we work swiftly to contain and limit its impact.
  2. Assessment:
    We assess the scope and severity of the breach, identifying the nature of the data involved, the number of individuals affected, and any potential risks to their rights and freedoms.
  3. Notification to Affected Individuals:
    If the breach is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, we will notify affected individuals as soon as possible. We will provide clear information about the breach, its potential impact, and any steps individuals should take to protect themselves.
  4. Notification to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
    We will notify the ICO within 72 hours of discovering the breach, if required by law, providing all necessary details about the incident.
  5. Investigation and Remediation:
    We will conduct a thorough investigation to understand the cause of the breach and take steps to prevent future incidents. This may involve strengthening security measures or updating processes to ensure better protection of personal data.
  6. Record Keeping:
    We will keep detailed records of the breach, including its nature, the actions taken, and the outcomes, to ensure compliance with data protection regulations and to inform future improvements in our data protection practices.

If you believe your data has been affected by a breach, please contact us immediately at info@bestcharityever.co.uk.

What third parties that we receive data from

We may receive data from third parties to help us deliver our services, improve user experience, and manage donations efficiently. These third parties include:

  1. Payment Processors (Give Plugin):
    When you make a donation through our website, we may receive data from the Give donation plugin, which facilitates online payments. These services provide basic donation details, such as the amount donated and your payment method, to ensure the smooth processing of donations.
  2. Social Media Platforms:
    If you interact with our charity on social media platforms, we may receive data about your interactions, such as comments, likes, shares, or follows. The platforms we use include:
    • Facebook
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    • Threads
    • LinkedIn
      The information shared by these platforms depends on your privacy settings and preferences on each platform. We may use this data to engage with you, improve our content, and manage interactions.
  3. Analytics Providers:
    We may use third-party analytics services, such as Google Analytics, to help us understand how visitors interact with our website. These services provide data on website usage, including pages viewed, time spent on the site, and traffic sources, but do not track or share personal information.
  4. Fundraising Platforms:
    If you donate through third-party fundraising platforms, we may receive data from these services, including your name, donation amount, and contact information, to process your donation and acknowledge your support.
  5. Email Service Providers:
    If you sign up for newsletters or updates from us, we may receive your email address from our email marketing providers so we can send you relevant information and charity updates.

We ensure that any third parties we receive data from are compliant with applicable data protection regulations and use your data only for the purposes of providing their services.

What automated decision-making and/or profiling we do with user data

At Best Charity Ever, we do not engage in automated decision-making processes or profiling of your personal data. We do not use automated systems to make decisions that could significantly affect you, such as determining your eligibility for services or making donations based on personal characteristics.

The data we collect from you, including through donations or interactions on social media, is used solely for the purposes of delivering our charity’s services, improving user experience, and communicating with you about our causes. We may analyze donation trends or engagement metrics manually to better understand how we can improve our charity’s impact, but this is not automated decision-making or profiling.

If, in the future, we implement any automated processes or profiling, we will provide full transparency and ensure your rights are respected under data protection laws.

Industry regulatory disclosure requirements

Best Charity Ever complies with all relevant regulatory and legal obligations regarding the collection, use, and protection of personal data. We are committed to ensuring that our data practices meet the standards set forth by industry regulations and data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 in the UK.

As a charity, we may be required to disclose certain information in response to legitimate requests from regulatory authorities or law enforcement agencies, provided such requests comply with the law. This may include but is not limited to, sharing data to investigate fraud, prevent crime, or to comply with other legal or statutory obligations.

We will only disclose personal information when required or permitted by law, and will always ensure that the process is handled in compliance with data protection standards to protect your privacy and confidentiality.