Ménière's Society Website - Terms of Use

Welcome to the Ménière's Society website. By browsing and using this website you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by our terms of use which, together with our privacy policy, form our usage terms with you in relation to this website. If you disagree with any of these terms and condition, please discontinue using the website.

The Ménière's Society or ‘us’ or ‘we’ refers to the owner of the website whose registered office is The Atrium, Curtis Road, Dorking, Surrey RH4 1XA. We are registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Our charity registration number is 297246. The term ‘you’ refers to the user or viewer of our website.

The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use:

  • The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice.
  • The Ménière's Society provides general information, we are unable to provide specific medical advice. It is very important to find out the cause of your symptoms and you should see your GP or other health professional if you have any questions or concerns about your condition. As such, the Ménière's Society recommends that you always consult your GP, consultant or therapist for professional guidance before you begin, change, temporarily suspend or discontinue any treatment, medication, exercise or diet.
  • The Ménière's Society has undertaken no investigation of any treatment, medication, exercise or diet and expressly disclaims any and all liability resulting from its use.
  • The Ménière's Society does not recommend or endorse a specific product, service, treatment or organisation.
  • The Ménière's Society cannot advise on individual cases nor accept any liability resulting from the use of any treatments, services, products or other information referred to on this website.
  • This website uses cookies to monitor browsing preferences. They collect statistical data about your browsing actions and patterns and do not identify you as an individual. For more information view our full cookies policy.
  • Neither we, nor any third parties, provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information or materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.
  • Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.
  • This website contains material which is owned by or licensed to us. This material includes but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice which forms part of these terms and conditions.
  • All trademarks reproduced in this website which are not the property of, or licensed to, the operator, are acknowledged on this website.
  • Unauthorised use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offence.
  • For time to time this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse the website(s). We have no responsibility for the content of the linked website(s).
  • Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Privacy Policy - In summary

At the Ménière's Society we take your privacy seriously. This Policy explains why we collect data, how we use and store it. By using our website, you agree to be bound by this Policy and our Website Terms and Conditions.

The Ménière’s Society is a registered charity number 297246. We have an office in Dorking, Surrey. We have a team of four office staff, supported by a small group of volunteers. The Society’s board of trustees oversee the running of the organisation. Our work helps people with vestibular conditions, raises awareness and funds, as well as supporting vital research.

Your data is stored securely and we will only use your personal information to administer your account, your membership and to provide the products and services you have requested from us. Your data will be used by our trusted providers, i.e. for mailing Spin magazine, processing payments or data screening, on behalf of the charity and for the charity’s purposes only. We will never share or sell your details with any individual or organisation without seeking your consent.

If you have any questions regarding the below Policy and our privacy practices, please email us or write to: Ménière's Society, The Atrium, Curtis Road, Dorking, Surrey RH4 1XA. You can update your communication preferences at any time using our online form.

Personal information held by the Ménière's Society may include your name, address, telephone number, email address, date of birth and gender. As a minimum we need your name and postal and/or email address. Any other personal information you provide is your choice and helps us to (i) better administer your membership/ supporter account and (ii) provide you with the information you would like to receive from us. We may use your information to administer your membership, send our magazine, Spin, write and say thank you, send you a Happy Birthday email and contact you about the things you are interested in hearing about. We may also hold data of your Gift Aid Declaration, any donations/payments you have given to us, your membership status and any correspondence we have sent to you. We will, of course, also record your communication preferences so we can send you the information you are interested in and the method you would like to receive it.

Don’t miss out!  You can choose the information you would like to receive and how you would like to receive it. If we don’t have your up-to-date communication preferences, we may not be able to send you certain information.

We will not share, sell or pass on your details to other individuals, groups or organisations without your express permission.

We take steps to ensure your personal information is treated securely. When you give us personal information, we take steps to ensure that it’s treated securely. Any sensitive information is encrypted and protected with 128 Bit encryption on SSL. When you are on a secure page the web address will start with https:// and a lock icon will appear in the navigation bar of web browsers.

The accuracy of your information is important to us. You are entitled to view, amend or delete the personal information we hold. If you would like to amend or change any of information we hold about you, please contact us.

Privacy Policy – In full

How do we collect information from you?

We obtain information about you when you use our website, contact us by letter, telephone, email or via social media. This may be to request information, donate, take part in fundraising or a research project, or join as a member.

What type of information is collected?

The personal information we collect might include your name, address, email address, telephone number, age, gender, IP address and information regarding what web pages are accessed and when. If you donate online or purchase a product from us, your card information is not held by us, it is collected by our third-party payment processors, who specialise in the secure online capture and processing of credit/debit card transactions.

How is your information used?

We may use your information to:

  • process a donation that you have made;
  • process orders that you have submitted;
  • to carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into by you and us;
  • dealing with entries into a competition;
  • seek your views or comments on the services we provide;
  • notify you of changes to our services;
  • send you communications which you have requested and that may be of interest to you. These may include information about campaigns, appeals or other fundraising activities and services.
  • process a grant, research, job or volunteering application.

We review our retention periods for personal information on a regular basis. We are legally required to hold some types of information to fulfil our statutory obligations (e.g. for the collection of Gift Aid). We will hold your personal information on our systems for as long as is necessary for the relevant activity, or as long as is set out in any relevant contract you hold with us.

Contacting our support team

When you contact us we need to collect the data you have given in order to reply with the information you need. We my see your phone number when you contact us and we can see your email address when you send us an email or make an enquiry via our website. If you write to us and include your address we will have this information. Copies of letters and emails are kept for a limited time (up to 12 months) for reference, to improve the efficiency of our business and to provide you with a high-quality service. After this time, they are then deleted and/or disposed of via confidential waste disposal. We try to keep as little information as possible. If you phone us, our team may take notes during the call, but we do not keep this information.

Payments

When you donate, make a membership payment, or other contribution to the Ménière's Society, we will collect and process information about you. This may include your name, address, email address, telephone number, as well as the amount of your gift. If you give your credit/debit card details to us over the phone or via our website, we do not store these details. When you donate via the website, the data is stored on a secure server. We take appropriate measures to ensure the information is protected. You can also donate to the Ménière's Society via a number of online providers, including Stripe, PayPal, WorldPay and JustGiving. These providers will have their own separate privacy policies which we recommend you read before using.

Website

Our website may contain links to other websites run by other organisations. This privacy policy applies only to our website‚ so we encourage you to read the privacy statements on the other websites you visit. We cannot be responsible for the privacy policies and practices of other sites even if you access them using links from our website. In addition, if you linked to our website from a third-party site, we cannot be responsible for the privacy policies and practices of the owners and operators of that third-party site and recommend that you check the policy of that third-party site.

Our website uses cookies. These are small pieces of information sent by an organisation to your computer and stored on your hard drive to allow that website to recognise you when you visit. They collect statistical data about your browsing actions and patterns and do not identify you as an individual. For example, we use cookies to store your country preference. This helps us to improve our website and deliver a better service. For more information on how to switch off cookies on your computer, visit our full cookies policy. It is possible to switch off cookies by setting your browser preferences, please note turning off cookies may result in a loss of functionality when using our website.

Who has access to this information?

Access to our database is restricted to our staff. Our database is held securely on a hosted (cloud) server. We will not share, sell or rent your information with other organisations. We may provide information to our trusted providers, i.e. for mailing Spin magazine, managing payments or data screening, on behalf of the charity and for the charity’s purposes only.

We don't share or sell email or mailing lists with other organisations and businesses. As a member, we will hold your data for the duration of your membership. If you lapse or resign your membership we will delete your data, although we may hold data longer if required for statutory purposes (e.g. for claiming Gift Aid). When you are using our secure online donation pages, your donation is processed by a third-party payment processor, who specialises in the secure online capture and processing of credit/debit card transactions. We currently use Stripe, PayPal and WorldPay.

We will never share your details with any individual or organisation without seeking your consent or if we are required to do so by law, such as for a court order or for the prevention of fraud or other crime.

Keeping your data secure

When you give us personal information, we take steps to ensure that it’s treated securely. Any sensitive information is encrypted and protected with 128 Bit encryption on SSL. When you are on a secure page the web address will start with https:// and a lock icon will appear in the navigation bar of web browsers.

Non-sensitive details, such as your email address, etc, are transmitted normally over the Internet, and this can never be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of any information you transmit to us, and you do so at your own risk. Once we receive your information, we make our best effort to ensure its security on our systems. Where we have given (or where you have chosen) a password which enables you to access certain parts of our websites, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share your password with anyone.

Transferring your information outside of Europe

As part of the services offered to you through this website and through our hosted (cloud-based) systems, the information which you provide to us may be transferred to countries outside the European Union (“EU”). By way of example, this may happen if any of our servers are from time to time located in a country outside of the EU. These countries may not have similar data protection laws to the UK. By submitting your personal data, you’re agreeing to this transfer, storing or processing. If we transfer your information outside of the EU in this way, we will take steps to ensure that appropriate security measures are taken with the aim of ensuring that your privacy rights continue to be protected as outlined in this Policy. If you use our services while you are outside the EU, your information may be transferred outside the EU in order to provide you with those services.

Are you under 18?

If you are aged 18 or under, please get your parent/guardian’s permission before contacting us whenever you provide us with personal information.

Access to your personal information

The accuracy of your information is important to us. You are entitled to view, amend or delete the personal information we hold. If you would like to amend or change any of information we hold about you, please email your request to info@menieres.org.uk or write to us Ménière's Society, The Atrium, Curtis Road, Dorking, Surrey RH4 1XA or call us on 01306 876883.

You have the right to ask for a copy of the information The Ménière's Society holds about you. Please put your request in writing and send to: The Ménière's Society, The Atrium, Curtis Road, Dorking, Surrey RH4 1XA. We may charge £10 for such information requests to cover our costs in providing you with details of the information we hold about you. Proof of ID may be required. It may take up to 28 days for us to provide this information.

Complaints

If you are not happy with our privacy policy, or if you have a complaint, please contact us in writing. Please send correspondence to: The Ménière's Society, The Atrium, Curtis Road, Dorking, Surrey RH4 1XA..

Changes to our Privacy Notice and Policy

We keep this policy under regular review and may update it from time-to-time. Please check the policy regularly for changes. If significant changes are made in the way we use your data we will notify you. This notice was last reviewed May 2022.

If you have any questions about this notice, or if you wish to change your mind at any time about the information you receive from us or how you are contacted by the Ménière's Society, please contact The Ménière's Society, The Atrium, Curtis Road, Dorking, Surrey RH4 1XA. Telephone 01306 876883 or email us