Privacy Notice

Discover Nature Award (DNA) is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of everyone who engages with our work, including participants, supporters, volunteers, trustees, partners, and visitors to our website.

Discover Nature Award is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), registered with OSCR under charity number SC055185.

As a new charity, we have built responsible data protection practices into our organisation from the very beginning.

We recognise that personal information belongs to real people. We are committed to collecting, using, and storing information responsibly, transparently, and only where there is a clear purpose for doing so.

This Privacy Notice explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, who we may share it with, and how we keep it safe.

Our approach to protecting personal information is supported by our Data Protection Policy, which sets out our wider commitments and responsibilities for handling personal data. A copy of this policy is available upon request.

Where we collect and use photographs, videos, participant stories, or other digital content, we follow our Ethical Storytelling and Digital Asset Use Policy.

This policy sets out our commitment to ensuring all storytelling is based on dignity, informed consent, and genuine participation. A copy of this policy is available upon request.

Who is responsible for your information?

Discover Nature Award is responsible for the personal information we collect and process.

If you have any questions about how we use your information, please contact us:

Email: hello@discovernatureaward.org

Website: www.discovernatureaward.org

What personal information do we collect?

The information we collect depends on how you interact with Discover Nature Award. We only collect information that is necessary for a clear purpose.

Website visitors

When you visit our website, we may collect technical information such as:

  • information about your device, browser and network;

  • pages visited and how you interact with our website;

  • cookie preferences and website usage information.

We use this information to understand how our website is used, improve our services and ensure the website works effectively.

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website. This may include information such as pages visited, device type, approximate location and website interactions. This helps us improve our website and understand how people find and engage with our work.

Enquiries and correspondence

If you contact us by email or another method, we may collect:

  • your name;

  • your contact details;

  • information contained within your message or correspondence.

We use this information to respond to enquiries and maintain appropriate records.

Award participants and event attendees

When people take part in Discover Nature Award activities or events, we may collect information needed to support safe and inclusive participation, including:

  • name and contact details;

  • emergency contact or next-of-kin information;

  • accessibility information;

  • relevant medical or health information;

  • dietary or other support requirements;

  • attendance records;

  • feedback and evaluation information.

Some of this information may be considered special category data under UK data protection law. We only collect this information where it is necessary to support participant wellbeing, accessibility, safeguarding and safe delivery of activities.

Access to participant safety information is restricted to those who need it to support safe delivery of activities.

Photography, filming and participant stories

During Discover Nature Award activities, we may occasionally collect:

  • photographs;

  • video recordings;

  • participant quotes or stories;

  • media consent records.

We use this information to share the impact of our work, celebrate participation and communicate our mission.

We do not use images, stories or recordings without appropriate consent. We aim to ensure that everyone involved is represented with dignity, respect and accuracy.

Surveys and evaluation

We may collect feedback through surveys and evaluation tools to understand participant experiences and improve our work.

Where possible, surveys are collected anonymously. Where responses are identifiable, we will explain why this information is being collected and how it will be used.

We may use services such as SurveyMonkey to support evaluation activity.

Donations

If you donate directly to Discover Nature Award, we may collect:

  • your name;

  • contact details;

  • donation information;

  • Gift Aid information where applicable.

Payment details are not stored by Discover Nature Award where donations are processed through third-party platforms.

Donations made through services such as JustGiving are processed through those platforms, which have their own privacy policies.

Trustees

We process information about trustees to support charity governance and meet our legal responsibilities. This may include:

  • contact details;

  • declarations and eligibility information;

  • meeting attendance;

  • training and development records;

  • governance records.

Volunteers

As our volunteer opportunities develop, we may collect information needed to support volunteering safely and effectively, including:

  • contact details;

  • emergency contact information;

  • availability;

  • relevant skills, qualifications or training records.

Partners, suppliers and contractors

We may collect information about representatives from partner organisations, suppliers and contractors, including:

  • names;

  • contact details;

  • correspondence;

  • information contained within partnership agreements, contracts or related records.

We use this information to manage relationships, deliver projects and meet our organisational responsibilities.

How do we use your information?

We use personal information to:

  • deliver Discover Nature Award activities and events;

  • communicate with participants, supporters, volunteers, trustees and partners;

  • manage safety, accessibility and safeguarding responsibilities;

  • evaluate and improve our work;

  • share updates about our impact and activities where appropriate;

  • meet legal and regulatory responsibilities;

  • maintain accurate organisational records.

We only collect and use personal information where we have a lawful basis to do so under UK data protection law.

Who do we share information with?

We only share personal information where necessary and appropriate. This may include:

  • delivery partners supporting events or activities;

  • service providers who process information on our behalf;

  • funders where reporting requirements require anonymised or agreed information;

  • regulators or authorities where we have a legal obligation.

We do not sell personal information or share it for commercial marketing purposes.

Third-party services

Our website and activities may include links to external services, including:

  • Eventbrite for event registration;

  • JustGiving for donations;

  • SurveyMonkey for surveys and evaluation.

If you choose to use these services, your information may be collected and processed by those organisations according to their own privacy policies.

Once you leave the Discover Nature Award website, we are not responsible for how third-party websites process personal information.

How do we keep your information safe?

We take appropriate steps to protect personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure. This includes:

  • limiting access to personal information;

  • using appropriate storage and security measures;

  • only collecting information that is needed;

  • regularly reviewing our data protection practices.

How long do we keep information?

We only keep personal information for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, including meeting legal, financial, safeguarding or reporting requirements.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and our responsibilities as a charity.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you have rights including:

  • the right to ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you;

  • the right to request correction of inaccurate information;

  • the right to request deletion of information in certain circumstances;

  • the right to object to certain uses of your information;

  • the right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details above.

Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to help it function effectively and understand how visitors use our website.

Where required, we will provide information about cookies and give visitors appropriate choices about their use.

Changes to this Privacy Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes in our activities, services or legal responsibilities.

The latest version will always be available on our website.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how we use your personal information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve your concerns.

You also have the right to raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent regulator for data protection.

More information about contacting the ICO is available at www.ico.org.uk.

Last updated: September 2026