We value everyone who visits our website and do all we can to protect your privacy and make sure the personal data you give us is kept safe. This policy explains how we collect data via our website, how we use and store information and what it means for you. We also have specific Terms and Conditions for the use of our website, which you should read as well. What information do we collect? We only collect information that lets us provide you with the services you require and to improve those services. There are two kinds of information we collect: personal data that you give us such as your name, email address, postal address and telephone number. This is information you submit through, for example, forms, emails, comments and surveys; non-personal data such as IP addresses, details of pages visited and files downloaded. Website usage information is collected using cookies. Please refer to the section below on cookies. What do we do with your information? We only use the personal information that you provide for the reasons you have supplied it and for any other reason you give us permission for. We use it to: Provide you with services, products and information you have requested; process donations and other payments and verify financial transactions; identify and communicate with supporters; record contact that we have with you; handle orders, deliver products and communicate with you about your orders.; provide a personalised service, such as personalised emails; carry out research on user profiles to improve the website experience for users; provide you with information (if you have agreed) that may be of interest to you, such as disaster responses and campaigns. When you are asked to supply your personal information you will be told why the personal data is being collected and how it will be used. In some cases, when we ask you for information about yourself, you may opt out of future communications using the appropriate tick box. In other cases we may ask you to opt in to receive future communications, including email or text marketing. All our emails will offer you the chance to opt out of future emails. Links does not sell, rent or disclose any personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. Cookies: We collect data using cookies. A cookie is a text file that is sent from our website as soon as you visit the site. It is stored on your computer's hard drive and helps us identify your computer and collect information in an anonymous way. Cookies may be used to collect information about your visit to our website (for example, location data, device information, communication data, the date and time of your visit and the pages that you view). This helps us to understand how our visitors use our site so that future website development can better meet the needs of our visitors. Most browsers allow you to turn off the cookie function; however if you opt to do this you may be unable to access certain parts of the site. To enjoy the Links site to the full, we recommend that you leave cookies switched on. We may also use this automatically collected information: to customise the content on the Links website and to establish visitors' current and future needs and to process any requests, applications or transactions you make. The use of cookies is an industry standard of most major websites. For more information you can visit AboutCookies.org and AllAboutCookies.org. If you continue to use our site, you agree to our use of cookies. Storing your information: We maintain a high level of security in relation to the collection, storage and disclosure of your information. This is very important to us and we take reasonable steps to ensure that any information we hold about you is safe. We use secure software (SSL) whenever financial information is required. This is designed to encrypt information given over the internet to protect all personal data. We make every effort to ensure that information sent to us is done so securely, but transmission of data across the internet is not completely secure and you submit it at your own risk. The data we collect from you may be transferred to, and stored at, a destination within or outside the European Economic Area (EEA). It may also be processed by staff operating outside the EEA who work for us or for one of our suppliers. Such staff may be engaged in, among other things, the processing of your payment details and the provision of support services. By submitting your personal data, you agree to this transfer, storing or processing. We will take all steps reasonably necessary to make sure your data is treated securely and according to this policy. Sharing your information: Links does not sell or pass on any information about you to other organisations. However, we may share your data with subsidiary companies of Links and, if necessary, provide you with information or services that you have requested, with our partners or affiliates with whom we work or who work for us. We may need to pass on information if required by law or by a regulatory body. For example, a Gift Aid audit by the HMRC, or if asked for details by a law enforcement agency. We may provide third parties with general information about users of our site, but this information is both aggregate and anonymous. However, we may use IP address information to identify a user if we feel that there are or may be safety and/or security issues or to comply with legal requirements. Occasionally, we employ agents to carry out tasks on our behalf, such as fulfilling orders or processing donations. These agents are bound by contract to protect your privacy just as we would ourselves. Your rights: You have the right to ask us not to process your personal data for marketing purposes. We will inform you (before collecting your data) if we intend to use your data in this way. You can check certain boxes on our forms to indicate your wishes. It is also your right to request details of the information we hold about you. To receive a copy of the personal information we hold, please write to our office at the address given below, enclosing a cheque for £10 made payable to Links. We will respond within 40 days of receiving your letter. For more information about your rights under the Data Protection Act you can visit the website of the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk. How to contact us: Links holds and processes personal data according to the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations. We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office. Links tries to keep the data we hold about you up to date. However, if you notice any errors, you no longer wish to receive communications from us, or you have any queries about this policy please contact us on hello@links.charity or you can write to us at: Links PO Box 198 Littlehampton BN16 3UQ Changes to Links' Privacy and Security Policy: From time to time, we will make changes to this policy to keep it up-to-date and relevant. Please make sure you check regularly to see what's changed.