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Membership terms and conditions

We value our members immensely, and we feel it’s important to inform you that on applying to become a member of the Woodland Trust, you automatically accept these terms and conditions on behalf of yourself and any other person named in the membership application. You are also providing consent for us to manage and process your personal information in line with our privacy policy and with data protection laws in the UK.

Where we approve your membership application, a legally binding agreement is made between you (the person applying for membership, whether for yourself individually or also on behalf of others for multi-person memberships) incorporating these terms and conditions of membership.

For the purposes of these terms and conditions, the words 'Trust', 'we', 'our' or 'us' are references to the Woodland Trust. References to the word 'member(s)' are references to the person or persons named on the approved membership application, and 'membership' is a reference to the approved application to join the Woodland Trust as a member.

Background

Who we are

The Woodland Trust is a charity registered in England and Wales (No. 294344) and in Scotland (No. SC038885), having its head office located at Kempton Way, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL. The Woodland Trust is also a non-profit making company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales (No. 1982873), whose registered office is also located at Kempton Way, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL. The Woodland Trust also has a trading company called Woodland Trust (Enterprises) Limited (registered in England No. 2296645) to help generate income that can be used to support the Woodland Trust charity.

What we do

We care about the UK's woods and trees. We work tirelessly to do everything within our power to protect and campaign on behalf of our nation's woods, to plant trees and to restore ancient woodland for the benefit of wildlife and people.

We're the voice of the UK’s woods, trees and ancient woodland and we welcome you to join the Woodland Trust family by becoming a member and making our voice louder.

Membership terms and conditions

1. Types of membership offered by the Woodland Trust

1.1. We offer various types of memberships to suit your individual needs.

1.2. We currently offer the following types of membership:

  • individual membership – for one adult
  • joint membership – for two adults
  • family membership – for up to two adults and up to 10 children
  • individual life membership – for one adult
  • joint life membership – for two adults.

1.3. Each type of membership will have a ‘primary member’ – this will be the adult person named first on each membership application. The primary member will be the holder of the membership, can authorise changes to the membership and will be the single point of contact in respect of that membership, unless a request is made to change this membership detail. For joint and family memberships, the second adult named in the application will be the ‘additional member’.

1.4. Each type of membership will have a ‘household address’ – this will be the current address held by us for the primary member (as stated in the application, unless otherwise notified to us). The household address will be the single point of contact for that membership when writing to individual, joint or family members (including postal copies of Broadleaf magazine), unless a request is made to change this household address. An alternative address can be provided for any child within a family membership for the purposes of sending that child their activity packs as part of their family membership. Where the household address for the primary member is updated, all addresses associated with that membership will be updated, therefore you must update us with any alternative postal address required for a child where the household address is changed.

1.5. We may review, remove and cancel, or introduce different categories of membership from time to time. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the most appropriate category of membership to suit your personal circumstances at any time. We are not responsible in the event that a more appropriate category of membership may be available.

2. Benefits of becoming a Woodland Trust member

2.1. The main benefit of becoming a member of the Woodland Trust is contributing to our important charitable work to plant, support and protect woods and trees. The amount you pay for membership is classed as a donation for the purposes of the UK Government’s Gift Aid scheme, so if you are an eligible UK taxpayer and choose to add Gift Aid to your membership, you can provide even more support to the Woodland Trust through the Gift Aid scheme.

2.2. As a thank you and acknowledgement of your support, members will receive a gift of a welcome pack in the post. This is normally sent out within 7–10 working days of membership application approval and is sent to the household address.

2.3. The contents of this pack will vary depending on the membership type.

2.4. To keep you updated on the work we're carrying out, all membership types will also receive a copy of our members’ magazine (Broadleaf). We aim to issue this three times a year, and if you have opted to receive communications via email, you may also receive monthly members’ e-newsletters.

2.5. Family memberships will also receive seasonal activity packs for child members (e.g.Nature Detective packs) through the post during each year of membership (sent to the householder address unless an alternative address for the child member is notified to us), with monthly activity-based emails going to the primary member.

2.6. From time to time, third-party organisations who also support us may offer their own benefits to members as part of their support for the Trust. These third-party benefits are operated and provided by the third party, not the Woodland Trust, and do not form part of the benefits the Trust provides itself to its members. Third-party benefits may be subject to additional terms and conditions and an agreement with that third party, and may be withdrawn by the third party at any time.  

2.7. We reserve the right to change the benefits that apply to memberships without prior notice. Where possible, changes to benefits will be published on our website and notified to members. 

3. Membership costs

3.1. The membership prices shown on our website represent the minimum amount payable for each type of membership. Members may choose to increase their support of the Woodland Trust by voluntarily gifting an increased amount.

3.2. The membership payments are for the benefit of the Woodland Trust, a registered charity, and we endeavour to use such funds to help fulfil our charitable objectives.

3.3. We reserve the right to increase the minimum amount payable for memberships. Members will be informed of any increase before they are implemented and this does not affect a member’s cancellation rights further to paragraph seven, below.

4. How to become a member

4.1. You can apply for membership on the Woodland Trust website, over the phone, by post, or through a Woodland Trust fundraiser (employed by a third-party agency) who carries out in-person fundraising on our behalf.

4.2. Your application will be deemed to be accepted by the Woodland Trust once we have received all of the correct details from you and set up your membership on our system, including by processing either a one-off payment which you have provided by a debit/credit card or cheque, or by setting up a monthly or annual Direct Debit for the amount agreed on your membership application.

4.3. You, as the applicant and primary member, will be responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the details provided upon application. We may contact you to request further information if the details you have provided are incomplete or invalid and we therefore cannot process your membership application. If we are unable to obtain payment authorisation from the issuer of your card or from your bank in the case of Direct Debit payments, your application will not be approved.

4.4. It is important to note that although we value each application for membership, there may be instances whereby we may not be able to accept such a request. As a charity carrying out fundraising activity, we are regulated by the Charity Commission and commit to comply with the Code of Fundraising Practice published by the Fundraising Regulator, and our own policies, to ensure that our fundraising activities are legal, open, honest and respectful. This ensures that potential donors are treated fairly and can make an informed decision about their donation. As a result, we reserve the right to refuse any membership application, or to cancel a membership, where the acceptance of an application or the nature of the fundraising activity that led to the membership application, is in breach of the Code of Fundraising Practice, with our fundraising policies or is otherwise not compliant with our interests or responsibilities as a charity. If we cannot accept your application for whatever reason, we will confirm that your account has been re-credited (if applicable). 

5. Membership payment arrangements

5.1. There are multiple payment methods available to allow you to make the membership payments in an easy and flexible manner that is suitable to your individual needs. We accept payment for membership in either one annual lump sum (via Direct Debit, cheque or credit/debit card) or in monthly instalments by Direct Debit.

5.2. The credit/debit card information you provide us for a membership application is used solely for the purpose of processing that membership application. If we are unable to process payment from the credit/debit card details you have provided we will contact you immediately to verify your card details.

5.3. If you are not using your own credit/debit card to pay for the membership, you must ask permission of the credit/debit card holder before entering payment details. When you apply for membership of the Trust either online, by post, over the phone or in person, you are confirming that you have obtained the express prior permission of the credit/debit card holder.

5.4. Direct Debit payments are taken on either the 7th or 22nd of the month. Unfortunately, the collection date cannot be specified upon application as this will be dependent on the time of the month the membership has been set up, and payment will be collected on the next or nearest collection date. The Direct Debit collection date can be changed from the date set out in the Direct Debit agreement to the alternative date we offer once the first payment has been taken.

5.5. If an error has been made by us in the collection of a Direct Debit or by the payee’s bank/building society, under the bank’s Direct Debit guarantee scheme the payee is entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from their bank or building society. If a refund is received in error or a payment is received that the recipient is not entitled to, you must pay it back when requested to do so by the Trust.

5.6. The Direct Debit arrangement can be cancelled any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. We would be grateful if you could also let us know that you wish to cancel your membership. The primary member will be notified of any change to the Direct Debit arrangement where they are not the person requesting the change.

6. Making changes to your membership 

6.1. You can let us know at any point throughout your membership if your circumstances change and you want to change your membership type or details, or the household address or correspondence address for any child in a family membership. 

6.2. Only the primary member can make changes to the household address, and where the primary member updates their address records with us, the household address will also change.

6.3. Changes to a child’s personal information, including address (other than the household address), require parental, guardian or carer consent.

6.4. In a joint or family membership, the classification of one adult member as the primary member can be changed to the additional member by contacting us at supporters@woodlandtrust.org.uk or 0330 333 3300.

6.5. You cannot transfer a membership to another person. If you no longer require the membership it must be cancelled. 

6.6. Any membership changes requested or made by the additional member will be notified to the primary member for approval as the holder of the membership.

6.7. Further to our privacy policy, we are unable to change any communication consents or address (other than the household address) for the additional member on the direction of the primary member. The additional member must request this change personally.

7. Cancelling of membership

7.1. Although we would be sad to lose a valued member, we understand that a member may wish to cancel their membership. You can let us know you wish to cancel your membership at any time. If you are paying by monthly Direct Debit, we can also cancel your membership and Direct Debit immediately.

7.2. Any membership payments made up to the date of cancellation are non-refundable.

7.3. To cancel a membership, you can contact our support services team:

  • by phone on 0330 333 3300 during weekdays, 8.30am – 5.00pm
  • by email at enquiries@woodlandtrust.org.uk
  • by post to Woodland Trust, Kempton Way, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL.

7.4. Where a membership payment becomes outstanding following a 21 calendar day grace period, a cancellation will occur and the member will be informed in writing.

7.5. Access to any benefits of membership will cease with effect from the date the membership is cancelled.

7.6. We reserve the right to cancel any membership we find to be in breach of these terms and conditions.

7.7. A membership will be cancelled upon the Trust becoming aware of the death of that member. When we are notified of the death of the primary member within a joint or family membership, we will automatically cancel the membership, any future payments will not be collected and the additional member will be notified of the cancellation in writing, together with their options to continue as a Woodland Trust member. Where the deceased member is the additional member, the membership will not automatically be cancelled and the primary member will be contacted to confirm whether they wish to continue with their membership or amend the type of membership they hold.

8. Use of a Member’s personal information

8.1. For the purposes of this agreement, personal information and personal data have the same meaning to that specified in the Data Protection Act 2018.

8.2. When you apply to become a Woodland Trust member (and throughout the course of your membership) it will be necessary for us to obtain certain personal information from you such as your name, address, etc, in order to contact you and maintain your membership of the Woodland Trust. This information is regarded as personal information for the purposes of data protection law and we understand that this information is very valuable to you. We want to reassure you that any personal information you provide to us will be collected, held and processed in line with data protection laws and in accordance with our privacy policy, which has been developed to protect your personal information. More importantly, we will not disclose any of our members' personal details to any third party, unless the member provides us with written consent to do so.

9. Contacting us to make a query, comment or complaint

9.1. We shall endeavour to respond to any query received within five working days. This may be an acknowledgement of receipt while further investigations are carried out. If you have any queries or complaints please contact the support services team by.

Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8.30am–5pm (excluding Bank Holidays).

See full details about our feedback and complaints process.

10. General

10.1. These terms and conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

10.2. Membership of the Woodland Trust or benefits received as part of membership (including but not limited to the Woodland Trust logos, membership numbers or membership packages) may not be used by anyone to promote an individual or business, nor is membership of the Woodland Trust an approval, endorsement or support of an individual or business. We reserve the right to cancel any membership we find to be in breach of this provision.

10.3. While we may offer members a welcome gift to acknowledge their support, and provide support and promotional literature (such as Broadleaf magazine) to promote our charitable work and keep you informed about how money from our supporters is spent, for the avoidance of doubt, this membership agreement shall not constitute a consumer contract for the supply of goods, services or digital content.

10.4. If you apply for membership with us, you are assumed to have read and accepted these terms and they will form the agreement between you and us.

10.5. Please read our privacy policy which sets out how we hold and handle your data and personal information.

10.6. These terms, together with our privacy policy referred to above, constitute the entire agreement between you and us and supersede all previous agreements, promises, assurances, warranties, representations and understandings between us.

10.7. You acknowledge that, by entering into this agreement, you do not rely on any statement, representation, assurance or warranty (whether made innocently or negligently) unless set out in these terms and conditions.

10.8. We may amend and update these terms and conditions from time to time, including due to:

  • changes to our membership offering
  • changes in law and regulation
  • a material change to the relationship with any third party
  • addressing any identified errors or inaccuracies.

10.9. Every time you renew your membership, the current set of terms and conditions will be incorporated into our agreement with you. We would advise you to check these terms and conditions to ensure that you have the most up-to-date version.

10.10. Notice of changes to these terms and conditions will be effective when any updated terms and conditions are posted on our website.

11. Liability

11.1. Subject to clause 11.3, the Trust excludes all liability to members or to any third party for any loss of profit, or any special, incidental or consequential damages (however arising, including negligence) arising out of, or in connection with any membership benefits and/or any products supplied by the Trust or its representatives, which includes any company associated with the Trust.

11.2. Subject to clause 11.3, the liability of the Trust to you is limited to the amount of your payment for the current period of your membership.

11.3. Nothing in these terms and conditions excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by the Trust’s negligence or for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

12. Entire agreement

12.1. These membership terms and conditions constitute the entire agreement between you, any member and us, and supersede and extinguish all previous membership terms and conditions, promises, assurances, warranties, representations and understandings between them, whether written or oral, relating to its subject matter.

13. Severance

13.1. If any court finds that any provision of this agreement is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that provision or part provision shall, to the extent required, be deemed to be deleted, and the validity and enforceability of the other provisions of this agreement shall not be affected. If any invalid, unenforceable or illegal provision of this agreement would be valid, enforceable and legal if some part of it were deleted, the provision shall apply with the minimum modification necessary to make it legal, valid and enforceable.

14. Notices

14.1. All notices given by you to us must be provided in writing to: The Woodland Trust, Kempton Way, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL.

We may give notice to you via either the email or postal address you provide to us when applying to become a Woodland Trust member. Notice will be deemed received and properly served immediately when posted on our website, 24 hours after an email is sent, or three days after the date of posting of any letter.