Privacy policy
Last updated: 7 October 2026
Picapatch is built around community, trust and transparency. We believe your personal information should be treated with the same care.
This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, who we share it with and the choices you have.
Who we are
Picapatch is run by Picapatch Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 17483145).
For the purposes of UK data protection law, we're the controller of the personal information described here.
Each project on Picapatch is run by its own organisation, such as a charity, community interest company, community group or land trust. When you support a project, we may share some of your details with that organisation so it can administer its project and communicate with its supporters.
Picapatch and the project organisation will generally each act as independent controllers of the personal information they use.
What information we collect
When you support a project
When you choose a patch and make a contribution, we may collect:
your name
your email address
your chosen patch and project
the amount you contribute
any message or information you choose to provide
information relating to your payment, such as its status and transaction reference
Your card or bank payment details are handled securely by our payment provider, Stripe. Picapatch does not receive or store your full card details.
When you join a project team
If you create or manage a project on Picapatch, we may also collect:
your name and contact details
the name and details of your organisation
information needed to set up and manage your project
account and login information
communications between you and Picapatch
When you contact us or sign up for updates
If you contact us, join a mailing list or ask us to keep you updated about Picapatch, we may collect your name, email address and anything else you choose to tell us.
Technical information
Like most websites, our hosting and infrastructure providers may automatically process limited technical information needed to deliver the website securely and reliably. This can include your IP address, browser or device information and basic server logs.
We don't use this information to build advertising profiles about you.
How we use your information
We use personal information where it's necessary to:
process your contribution and allocate your chosen patch
provide confirmation of your support
allow the project organisation to administer its project
send you updates about a project you've supported, if you've asked for them
operate and improve Picapatch
provide support and respond to enquiries
prevent fraud, misuse or security problems
meet our legal, accounting and regulatory obligations
Where necessary to provide the Picapatch service, we generally rely on the performance of our contract with you or our legitimate interests in operating the platform.
Where we're required to keep information for legal, tax or accounting purposes, we rely on our legal obligations.
We may also email you about Picapatch itself if you've specifically asked us to keep you updated. We rely on your consent for these emails, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Project updates
Part of the idea behind Picapatch is that supporters can see what happens to the projects they've helped make possible.
When you support a project, you can choose whether you'd like to hear more. There are three separate choices at checkout, and you don't need to pick any of them to make a contribution: updates from the organisation about the feature you supported, news from the organisation about its future projects, events and fundraising, and occasional news from Picapatch.
If you tick one of the organisation's choices, we'll share your name, email address and the features you've supported with that organisation, so it can contact you about what you agreed to. We keep a record of what you chose, when you chose it and the wording you saw.
You can change your mind at any time using the link in your confirmation email. We'll show the organisation that you've changed your mind, but if it has already downloaded your details, it might take a little while to catch up. Project organisations are responsible for how they use the information they receive, and they should only contact you about what you agreed to.
Who we share information with
We only share personal information where it's necessary to operate Picapatch or provide the service you've requested.
This may include:
Project organisations
When you support a project, relevant information may be shared with the organisation running it so it can administer the project and understand its supporters. If you've asked to hear from the organisation, it will also receive what it needs to contact you about what you agreed to.
Stripe
Stripe processes payments made through Picapatch. Stripe receives the information necessary to process your payment securely.
Our website and technology providers
We use third-party services to host and operate Picapatch. These providers may process limited personal information on our behalf where necessary to provide their services.
Professional or legal advisers
We may occasionally need to share information with accountants, lawyers, insurers or other professional advisers.
Authorities
We may disclose information where we're legally required to do so.
We do not sell your personal information.
Cookies and tracking
Picapatch may use cookies or similar technologies that are strictly necessary for the website to work properly, securely and reliably.
We don't currently use advertising trackers or use your browsing activity to create advertising profiles.
If we introduce optional analytics, advertising or other non-essential tracking technologies in future, we'll update this policy and, where required, ask for your consent.
International transfers
Some of the services we use may process personal information outside the UK.
Where this happens, we make sure appropriate safeguards recognised under UK data protection law are in place.
How long we keep your information
We don't keep personal information for longer than we need it.
In general:
Supporter and transaction records may be retained for as long as necessary to administer the project and meet legal, accounting and tax requirements.
Project team accounts are retained for as long as you're part of a project team and will normally be deleted within 90 days after you leave, unless we need to retain some information for legal or administrative reasons.
Enquiries and correspondence are kept for as long as reasonably necessary to deal with the enquiry and maintain appropriate business records.
Picapatch mailing list information is retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw your consent.
Records of your email choices are kept for as long as we need them to show what you agreed to, including after you've changed your mind.
Some information may need to be retained for longer where we're required to do so by law.
How we protect your information
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the personal information we hold against loss, misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure.
No online service can guarantee absolute security, but we aim to collect as little personal information as reasonably necessary and to work with reputable technology and payment providers.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you may have the right to:
ask what personal information we hold about you
ask us to correct inaccurate information
ask us to delete your information
ask us to restrict how we use your information
object to certain uses of your information
receive certain information in a portable format
withdraw consent where we're relying on consent
These rights don't apply in every circumstance, and there may be situations where we're legally required to retain information.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@picapatch.place.
We'll normally respond within one month.
If you're unhappy with how we've handled your personal information, you also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator.
Children
Picapatch is not intended to collect personal information directly from children.
If we become aware that we've collected personal information from a child in circumstances where we shouldn't have done so, we'll take appropriate steps to remove it.
Other websites
Picapatch projects may contain links to websites operated by project organisations or other third parties.
We're not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites, so we recommend checking their own privacy policies when you visit them.
Changes to this policy
Picapatch will grow and change, and the way we use technology may change too.
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. When we make significant changes, we'll update the date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, let users know.
Contact us
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how Picapatch uses your personal information, please contact:
Picapatch Limited
Company number: 17483145
Email: hello@picapatch.place