The SCOTS on exercise in the Scottish Highlands

terms of use

The SCOTS Privacy Policy (includes the SCOTS Benevolent Trust)
Version 1:0 dated 04 October 2021

How and when we collect personal information about you

The SCOTS may collect your personal data in the following circumstances:

When you give it to us directly.  You may give us your personal data directly when you donate or when you otherwise communicate with us.

When you access any social media assets The SCOTS might run.  This depends on the privacy settings for each particular social media app. Please refer to the social media companies' own policies to ensure you remain in control of how they control and process your data.

When the information is publicly available.  We might also obtain personal data about individuals who may be interested in giving major gifts to charities like The Trust.  In this scenario, The Trust may seek to find out more about these individuals, their interests and their motivation for giving through publicly available information, which may include newspaper or other media coverage, open postings on social media and data from Companies House.

when we use cookies

Cookies are a useful way for us to understand how supporters use our website.  When you visit our website, we will collect data from your computer or other device such as a smartphone or tablet using cookies.  Cookies improve your experience of using our website, for instance by remembering your preference settings so that you are presented with information likely to be most relevant to you.  Cookies can also be used to show you relevant SCOTS content on social media services.  If you visit our website as an anonymous user (i.e. you switch off cookies), The SCOTS may still collect certain information from your browser, such as the IP address (a number that can uniquely identify an individual device on the internet).

The SCOTS website contains links to websites owned and operated by other organisations.  These third-party websites have their own privacy policies, including policies on their use of cookies, and we encourage you to read them.  They will govern the use of personal information you submit, or which is collected by cookies whilst visiting these websites.  We cannot take any responsibility or liability for the privacy practices of such third party websites and your use of such websites is entirely at your own risk.

What information might The SCOTS collect about you

We only collect personal information relevant to the type of interactions you have with The SCOTS.  For example, when you contact The SCOTS to donate or to sign up for a newsletter, we may receive information about you.

Sensitive personal data

We only collect sensitive personal data (such as health details) where it is necessary in the discharge of our charitable assistance to specific individuals. All such data is stored in a secure database, access to which is given only to those who strictly require it as officers of The SCOTS.

How will The SCOTS use your personal data?

We may need to contact you in relation to a donation you have given, for instance to ensure that we can claim Gift Aid.

To confirm receipt of a donation (unless you have instructed us otherwise) to thank you and to let you know how that donation might be used.

In relation to correspondence you have entered into with us (whether by letter, email, text or other means) and to contact you about any content you might provide.

For internal record keeping.

To implement any instruction you give us with regard to withdrawing consent to send marketing information.

For marketing and fund raising reasons.

Will The SCOTS share your personal information with anyone?

We will only use your information within The SCOTS for the purposes for which it was obtained.  The SCOTS will not, under any circumstance, share or sell your personal data with any third party for their own marketing purposes and you will not receive marketing from any other companies, charities or other organisations as a result of giving your details to us.

However, we will comply with legal requests where disclosure is required or permitted by law (for example to government bodies for tax purposes or law enforcement agencies for the prevention and detection of crime, subject to such bodies providing us with an appropriate authority in advance in writing).

How long will The SCOTS keep your personal information?

We will hold your personal information on our systems for as long as is necessary for the relevant activity: for example, we will keep a record of donations subject to Gift Aid for at least seven years to comply with HMRC rules.

If you request that we stop sending you marketing materials we will keep a record of your contact details and appropriate information to enable us to comply with your request not to be contacted by us.

Legacy income is important to the running of the Trust.  We may keep your data you provide to us indefinitely to carry out legacy administration and to communicate effectively of the families leaving us the legacy.  This also enables us to identify and analyse the source of legacy income we receive.

Where you contribute material to us (for instance any story of benevolence help) we will only keep it as long as is reasonable for the purposes it was submitted.

How to control what we send you, or request that we update your information

The accuracy of your information is important to us.  We want to ensure that we can communicate with you in ways that you are happy with and to provide you with information that is of interest.  If you wish to change how we communicate with you, or update the information we hold, then please contact us on INFHQ-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk.

Additionally, you can opt out of marketing emails at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email from The SCOTS.

How does The SCOTS keep your data safe?

We ensure that there are appropriate technical and procedural controls in place to protect your personal details.  The SCOTS employs a comprehensive Data Strategy to ensure that information (including personal information) is securely stored, and efficiently shared with those (and only those) who need it. The SCOTS employs a Data Protection Officer, whose job it is to ensure that the Data Handling Policy (which is part of the Strategy) is properly followed, and the Strategy updated for changing circumstances and new regulation.

How to complain about this policy and raise policy concerns

If you would like more information or wish to make a formal complaint about this policy, please contact us.