Privacy policy

We are committed to protecting the privacy of your personal data. We will respect any personal data you share with us and keep it safe. We aim to be clear when we collect your personal data and not do anything you wouldn’t reasonably expect.

Your privacy

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully to understand our practices regarding your personal data and how we will collect, use and store your personal data. We may update this policy from time to time so please check it regularly. If there are significant updates, we will inform those people with whom we are in regular contact, such as members and email subscribers.

1. Introduction

This privacy policy sets out how The Castle Howard Arboretum Trust (the Trust) uses and protects any information that you give the Trust when conducting business with us, and utilising the Trust’s website.

The Trust is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using the website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

The Trust may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes.

2. What we collect

We may collect the following information:

Your full name and job title
Contact information including email address
Demographic information such as postcode, preferences and interests
Records of your correspondence with the us
Bank or credit card details (if you purchase something from us or donate to us)
Donation and gift aid details (if you donate to us)
Information you enter into our websites and digital products and details of how you use those websites and digital products
Dietary, accessibility and mobility information
CCTV footage of those visiting our premises
Photographs and digital images of individuals
Other information relevant to customer surveys and/or offers

3.1. What we do with the information we gather

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

provide you with the information, product or service you have requested from us, including such things as admission to the arboretum, specific events that we run, merchandise from our shop, responding to your enquiries and requests, attending educational activities and events, and to tell you about our work and our fundraising.
provide you with other information which we feel may interest you and that you have agreed to receive. This may include newsletters, tips, updates, information in relation to fundraising campaigns, voluntary surveys or questionnaires for you to complete, details of relevant volunteering opportunities, and details of any promotions and competitions we are running. We may also send you details of events we think you may be interested in attending.
administer all aspects of being a member of The Yorkshire Arboretum
analyse and understand how people use our websites and digital products so we can improve and personalise the experience for users and reflect your preferences and previous interactions
keep a record of our relationship with you
improve how we communicate with you, how we fundraise, and how we operate more generally ;keep in contact with you in the ways that you have requested or agreed to
personalise our services and communications to you (for example, to ensure that they take into account your age, location and previous involvement with The Yorkshire Arboretum)
provide you with information about carefully selected third party events, products, campaigns and competitions, where we are permitted to do so;
notify you about changes to our services;
administer and process payments you make for products, services and charitable donations made to us;
verify your identity where required to use some of our services and benefits;
comply with applicable laws and regulations and requests from statutory agencies including for such purposes as health and safety; the detection and prevention of crime and safeguarding
carry out any obligations or provide you with any other services, functionality or content which you specifically request or agree to.

3.2. Fundraising

Charitable giving is very important to the Trust’s ability to achieve its mission. We carry out a wide variety of marketing activities to seek individuals’ support for our work, ranging from appeals for small one-off donations, to large fundraising initiatives for specific projects, such as the lake restoration. We want to ensure that we are contacting you with tailored and appropriate communications, and ensure we direct our resources and fundraising activities as efficiently and effectively as we can. We also want to communicate with you from time to time to thank you for your support and tell you what we have achieved with the help of your donation.

3.3. Security

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorized access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

3.4. How we use cookies

A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyses data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

3.5. 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 statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

3.6. Controlling your personal information

You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information in the following ways:

whenever you are asked to fill in a form on the website, look for the box that you can click to indicate that you do, or do not want the information to be used by anybody for direct marketing purposes
if you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time by writing to or emailing us at – enquiries@yorkshirearboretum.org
We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law to do so.
You may request details of personal information which we hold about you under the Protection of Personal Information Act. If you would like a copy of the information held on you please write to – enquiries@yorkshirearboretum.org
If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible, at the above address. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.