Protect the Wild – Privacy Policy
Effective Date: 22 May 2025
Last Updated: 22 May 2025
Protect the Wild takes our responsibility to protect and respect your privacy seriously. We are committed to managing your personal data transparently, securely, and in compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).
This privacy policy explains what data we collect about you, how we use it, the legal basis for doing so, how long we retain it, and your rights. By interacting with Protect the Wild, you agree to the terms of this policy.
Who are Protect the Wild?
Protect the Wild is a not-for-profit organisation working to protect British wildlife.
Registered address:
71–75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ
Data protection contact:
Rob Pownall
📧 contact@protectthewild.org.uk
How We Collect Your Data
We collect personal data when you:
Sign up to our email lists via our website
Donate via Donorbox, PayPal, or Patreon
Make a purchase on our online shop (Shopify)
Join our Substack newsletter
Fill in a form, petition, or campaign signup
Submit a CV for employment or volunteering
Contact us directly by email, phone, or social media
We do not use any Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software or third-party marketing database beyond the services listed in this policy.
Types of Data We Collect
We may collect and process:
Full name
Email address
Postal address
Phone number
Donation or purchase history
Payment method (via third-party processors)
CV or job application details
Communication preferences
Message content if you contact us directly
We do not collect sensitive personal data (e.g. ethnicity, health) unless explicitly necessary and with your consent.
How We Use Your Data
We use your data to:
Process donations and shop orders
Communicate with you about transactions or fulfilment
Respond to enquiries or customer service issues
Deliver campaign updates or appeals (with consent)
Manage supporter engagement
Administer job/volunteer recruitment
Fulfil legal, financial, or tax obligations
We do not use your data for profiling or automated decision-making.
Email Communications & Consent
We will only send you campaign updates, appeals, or newsletters by email if you have explicitly opted in.
Email Lists We Use:
Mailchimp: If you opt in via our website, your email is added to our Mailchimp list.
Substack: If you subscribe directly on Substack, your data is held there under Substack’s privacy terms.
Dual-listing: If you opt in via our website and join our Mailchimp list, we may export your email to Substack — our primary platform for regular updates. We do not export from Substack to Mailchimp.
You can unsubscribe at any time via email links or by contacting contact@protectthewild.org.uk.
Donation Platforms
Donorbox
Donorbox is our main donation processor. When you donate via Donorbox, we receive your name, email, and donation amount. This data is used to confirm your donation, provide receipts, and maintain accounting records.
We retain this data for up to 7 years, or longer where legally required.
Donorbox privacy policy
PayPal
If you donate or purchase through PayPal, we receive your contact information for the purposes of donation fulfilment, record-keeping, and support.
We do not use PayPal email addresses for marketing unless separate consent has been given.
PayPal privacy policy
Patreon
If you support us via Patreon, we may access your name, email, and support tier. This is used only to manage your membership and deliver any relevant tier rewards (if applicable). We do not use Patreon email addresses for marketing unless you have opted in elsewhere.
Patreon privacy policy
Online Shop (Shopify)
When you place an order through our Shopify store, we collect your name, email, address, and order details. This data is used solely to fulfil your order and provide transactional communication (e.g., missing info, delivery issues).
We do not use Shopify email addresses for marketing unless you opted in at checkout.
Shopify privacy policy
Retention Periods
We retain personal data only as long as necessary:
Email form submissions: Deleted after 6 months
CVs/job applications: Deleted after 3 months
Donation and transaction data: Retained for 7 years or longer where required by law
Marketing consent records: Retained until withdrawn
Substack and Mailchimp subscriber data: Stored until you unsubscribe or request deletion
You can request deletion of your data at any time unless we are legally obligated to retain it.
Third Parties and Data Processors
We do not sell or trade your personal data.
We use trusted, GDPR-compliant service providers, including:
Mailchimp (email delivery)
Substack (newsletter platform)
Donorbox (donation processing)
PayPal (donation/shop transactions)
Patreon (recurring donations)
Shopify (shop platform)
Each service processes only the data necessary to deliver their function on our behalf.
Your Rights
You have the right to:
Request access to your personal data
Correct inaccuracies
Withdraw your consent at any time
Request data deletion or restriction of processing
Object to direct marketing
File a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
To exercise these rights, email contact@protectthewild.org.uk. We aim to respond within 30 days.
Data Storage and Security
We store your data securely in the UK and EEA. Some data (e.g. Mailchimp, Substack) may be stored outside the UK under GDPR-equivalent protection.
We follow industry best practices to secure your data, including two-factor authentication, encryption of devices and sensitive data, and limiting access to personal information. We also rely on secure, GDPR-compliant third-party platforms for donation processing, email delivery, and supporter communications
We do not share passwords or unsecured links to personal data.
Data Breaches
In the event of a breach, we will take all required legal steps and notify affected individuals and authorities where necessary.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests about this privacy policy or how we use your data, please contact:
📧 contact@protectthewild.org.uk
