The privacy and security of your personal information is taken very seriously by us at the Donor Conception Network (the “Network”). This privacy policy will inform you as to how we look after your personal data when you visit our website (regardless of where you visit it from) and tell you about your privacy rights and how the law protects you. References to the processing of information includes the collection, use, storage and protection of data.
The Network is a “controller” under all relevant data protection laws applicable in England & Wales, as they may vary from time to time, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and the retained EU law version of the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) (“English Data Protection Laws”). The policy extends to its members, subscribers, trustees, and anyone else processing data on our behalf from time to time. Any personal data collected by the Network will only be processed in accordance with this privacy policy.
The Network is registered under the Data Protection Act 2018 under registration number Z7320462.
What information do we collect from website users?
We collect the personal data necessary for the Network to pursue its charitable objectives, including but not limited to advancing education about donor conception treatment and assisting and supporting those considering or affected by it, together with fundraising and marketing, running events, keeping our service users and supporters informed of our activities, and the effective running of the Network as an operational and fundraising charity through its professional staff, trustees and volunteers. Data collected, used, stored, transferred and processed may include, but not be limited to:
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Names and contact information such as telephone numbers, email and postal addresses of members, subscribers or others with whom we have contact on the website.
- Details relating to service users and their families (collectively referred to in this policy as ‘service users’) necessary for the Network to be able to provide the support and assistance requested.
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Details about purchases or items borrowed from our library.
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Donation records and preferences, including, where necessary, bank or payment details and tax status in order to process payments and claim Gift Aid.
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Photographs and / or film footage of participants in Network events, subject to first obtaining explicit written consent from the participant.
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Such other information that is relevant and necessary for the Network to carry out its activities, charitable purposes and legal obligations.
Such data may be collected, for example, when you provide it through our website by making a donation, becoming a member or subscribing to our newsletter or submitting an enquiry, when you request assistance or make an appointment as a service user, when you fill in your details on a pledge card or Gift Aid form, when you tell us about yourself if you apply to work for the Network as a volunteer or employee or when you otherwise provide us with personal data in some other way.
As you interact with our website, we will automatically collect and store information about your browsing device, including, where available, your IP address, operating system and browser type. We collect this personal data by using cookies and other similar technologies.
We are committed to protecting the privacy of young people who take part in our activities, for example our ‘What Makes Me, Me? activity. Where appropriate, we will seek the consent from a parent, guardian or carer before collecting information about young people under 16. If you are aged 16 or under, you must get your parent, guardian or carer’s permission before you provide any personal information on this website.
What information do we collect from our members?
We collect additional information from our members upon subscription, in order to match members to the correct service and provide tailored assistance. Members can choose to provide the Network with the following information that is classed as being in a special category:
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Whether the member is single, in a same sex or heterosexual couple, in order to provide appropriate resources and connect them with members in similar situations.
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Information about your experience or interest in donor conception / surrogacy
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Details of any fertility treatments undertaken, including the name of the clinic
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Details of any disabilities
We also collect ethnicity data on a completely voluntary basis and in line with the National Office for Statistics guidelines. This data is treated as confidential and is used for monitoring purposes only.
What is the legal basis for using your data?
Organisations are permitted to process data if they have a legal basis for doing so. The Network processes data on the basis that:
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Express and informed consent has been given by the person whose data is being processed; and/or
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The Network has a legitimate interest in processing data; and/or
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It is necessary in relation to a contract or agreement which the person has entered into or because the person has asked for something to be done so they can enter into a contract or agreement; and/or
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The Network is under a legal obligation to process data.
Where the Network is relying solely on consent as the basis for processing data, we are required to obtain your explicit consent. You can modify or withdraw this consent at any time by notifying us in writing, although this may affect the extent to which the Network is able to provide services to or interact with you in future. Where consent is sought in relation to a child under the age of 16 years of age, we will ask that someone legally responsible for them provides such consent.
We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. We may also use your personal information for other purposes which we specifically notify you about and, where appropriate, obtain your consent. If you wish to get an explanation as to how the processing for the new purpose is compatible with the original purpose, please contact us at enquiries@dcnetwork.org.
Who will we share your information with?
The Network uses the data collected to maintain accurate internal records of our engagement with members, service users and their families, event participants, supporters and others. These records allow our activities to run in line with our charitable objectives, including providing support and assistance to service users, facilitating local group events and conferences, providing services through our library, working with volunteers and supporters and raising funds and awareness about our work through campaigns and events.
Data may be processed and viewed by the relevant staff, trustees and volunteers in the course of the Network’s activities (all of whom work in accordance with a privacy policy). Sensitive data relating, for example, to medical histories, will only be accessible to those who need to process such data in order to provide the relevant service or support to you.
We will only share data with trusted third-parties where necessary for us to provide services to you or to communicate with you (such as mailing companies for postal communications or through email campaigns or newsletters), to process payments (if you make a donation online or purchase a product from us, your card information is collected by Total Giving, Stripe, GoCardless or PayPal but is not held by the Network) or as stated above, and only once we are satisfied that any such use of data by such third parties will accord with our privacy policy and high standards for data privacy and security. We will not sell or share your personal information with any other charities, businesses or marketing companies without your explicit consent. We will provide data to the relevant agencies if we are under a legal obligation to do so, or to prevent or assist in the investigation of a crime or to help safeguard a vulnerable person.
Where we suggest the names of external counsellors, clinics, lawyers or other service providers, we do not pass on your details to them and it is for you to make contact and engage with them thereafter.
How long will we keep your information for?
Data will be retained only for as long as is permissible in law and is reasonable and necessary for us to engage with you as a member, service user, subscriber or supporter. After that time, we will delete your data from our systems and require that anyone to whom we have passed your information also delete it. To find out what this means in your particular circumstances, please contact us at enquiries@dcnetwork.org.
If you subscribed to the Network’s magazine and email communications but no longer wish to receive them, you have the option to unsubscribe. If you choose to unsubscribe, we will remove your name and email address from the relevant mailing list.
If you cease to be a member, we will remove all personal data we hold relating to you within three years of you renouncing your membership as this is a reasonable length of time within which we would expect members considering re-joining the Network to formally re-subscribe. If members re-subscribe, it is useful to both the Network and the member for the Network to have access to the previous data held about the member. For the avoidance of doubt, we may need to retain certain personal data where there is an overriding legal requirement for its retention, such as Gift Aid records.
You may request deletion of your data at any time in writing, subject to any overriding legal requirement for its retention, such as the need, where appropriate, to retain records of our engagement with you: medical records or Gift Aid records for His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, for example. We may keep such data on a ‘suppression list’ so we know not to contact you or process your data in future until further notice.
In some circumstances we may anonymise your personal information so that it can no longer be associated with you, in which case we may use such information without further notice to you.
Your rights in relation to your personal data
You have a number of rights under English Data Protection Laws, these include the right to:
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Access a copy of the information we hold about you
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Rectify inaccuracies in information we hold about you
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Have the information we hold about you erased in certain circumstances
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Restrict the processing of your information
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Object to your information being used for direct marketing
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Transfer the information we hold about you to another entity
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Withdraw any consent you have provided
If you would like access to your information, please submit a request in writing along with proof of identity to the Network using the contact details below. We will provide this information within 30 days of receiving and verifying your written request. A small fee may be payable if an information request is particularly onerous.
You are responsible for the accuracy of data you have provided to the Network. If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to us as soon as possible. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.
If you wish to exercise any of the rights set out above, please contact us at enquiries@dcnetwork.org.
Security
We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the data we process. Persons processing data on behalf of the Network do so in accordance with this policy and on the basis that the Network is satisfied that they can and will adhere to our high standards for data protection and security. These include enhanced policies and protocols for the processing of particularly sensitive data. All persons processing personal data are subject to a duty of confidentiality.
Please note that the transmission of information over the internet is inherently insecure, and we cannot guarantee the security of data sent over the internet. You are responsible for keeping any password you use for logging in to access services or our website (if applicable) confidential; we will not ask you for your password (except when you log in).
We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so.
Cookies
A cookie is a small text file that can be stored and accessed from your device when you visit our website. Cookies allow us to recognise you as a user when you return to our website using the same device and browser. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.
A cookie does not give us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us. Most cookies only last for the duration of your visit to our website and are deleted when you close your browser (known as session cookies), but some may continue beyond the session until your next visit to enhance your use of the website (known as persistent cookies). These might include, where applicable, the option to ‘Remember my username’ if signing-in to our website. Persistent cookies remain on your device until the expiry date specified in the cookie is reached.
We use both first party cookies and third-party cookies on our website. First party cookies are cookies that are put on your device directly by the website provider and are often used to recognise your device when it revisits a site and to remember your preferences as you browse the site. Third party cookies are served by a service provider on behalf of the website operator and are commonly used for website analytics or advertising purposes.
Our cookies are used for the following purposes:
| Cookie Type | Cookie Name | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary |
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These cookies are necessary to enable us to operate our website. They include, for example, cookies that allow you to log into secured areas of our website. |
| Functionality cookies |
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These cookies allow our website to remember choices you make in order to personalise our content to reflect your preferences. |
| Analytical or performance cookies |
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These cookies analyse how the website is used and is performing. They include, for example Google Analytics cookies. |
You can stop cookies from being downloaded on your computer by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser. Most browsers will tell you how to stop accepting new cookies, how to be notified when you receive a new cookie, and how to disable existing cookies. Please note, however, that without cookies you may not be able to access or take full advantage of all our website’s features.
Marketing
You will receive marketing communications from us if you have requested information from us or purchased goods or services from us and you have not opted out of receiving that marketing.
You can ask us to stop sending you marketing messages at any time by following the opt-out links on any marketing message sent to you or by contacting us at any time. Where you opt out of receiving these marketing messages, this will not apply to personal data provided to us as a result of a product/service purchase, or other transactions.
Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy policy. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy policy applicable to the website in question.
Transferring your data outside of the UK
Whenever we transfer your personal data out of the UK to countries which have laws that do not provide the same level of data protection as English Data Protection Laws, we always ensure that a similar degree of protection is afforded to it through the use of specific standard contractual terms, namely the International Data Transfer Agreement. These are approved for use in the UK and give the transferred personal data the same protection as it has in the UK.
To obtain a copy of these contractual safeguards, please contact Nina Barnsley at enquiries@dcnetwork.org.
Contact us
If you want to discuss any matter relating to how your data is used, please call us on 020 7278 2608, email us at enquiries@dcnetwork.org, or write to Nina Barnsley, The Donor Conception Network, Unit 305, Clerkenwell Workshops, 27-31 Clerkenwell Close, London EC1R 0AT. In some instances, we may be required to have your request submitted in writing.
You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK regulator for data protection issues (www.ico.org.uk). We would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO so please contact us in the first instance.
Approved on 23rd July 2025 by:
Sue Dean – Chair of the Board of Trustees