Website terms and conditions

Introduction

www.dcnetwork.org (“Website”) is a site operated by the Donor Conception Network (“Network”, “we”, “us” and “our”). We are a UK registered charity under number 1041297. Our address is Donor Conception Network, Unit 305, Clerkenwell Workshops, 27-31 Clerkenwell Close, London EC1R 0AT. We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office under the Data Protection Act 2018 under registration number Z7320462.

Any use made of our website and the services provided via it (including registrations and donations and orders for goods made via our website) is subject to these terms and conditions (“Terms”). By using our website, you confirm that you accept these Terms and that you agree to comply with them. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use our website.

We amend these Terms from time to time. Every time you wish to use our website, please check these Terms to ensure you understand the terms that apply at that time.

Availability

We do not guarantee that our website, or any content on it, will always be available or be uninterrupted. We may suspend or withdraw or restrict the availability of all or any part of our site for business and operational reasons. We will try to give you reasonable notice of any suspension or withdrawal.

Use of our Website

Anyone may access and view the Website and may use the information, data, text, graphics, links or computer code published, contained or available on the Website (“Material”) for their own purposes, provided:

• it is used for information purposes only, is reproduced for personal use only and is not reproduced for commercial gain or on any other website;

• the Network’s status as the author of the Material is always acknowledged; and
• no part of the Website is copied, stored, or transmitted in any way to any third party without our prior written permission.

In using our Website, you are free to share, link and like content as you wish in accordance with sections D (Social Media Use) and G (Links) below.

You must not misuse our website by knowingly introducing viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs or other material that is malicious or technologically harmful. You must not attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Website, the server on which the Website is stored or any server, computer or database connected to the Website. You must not attack our site via a denial-of-service attack or a distributed denial-of service attack. By breaching this provision, you could commit a criminal offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

We will report any such breach to the relevant law enforcement authorities and we will co-operate with those authorities by disclosing your identity to them. In the event of such a breach, your right to use the Website will cease immediately and you may be required to destroy material being used that is derived from our website.

Social Media Use

You agree to above by these Terms when using Network pages or sites on social media (“Network Social Media”).

Your communication to the Network or others on Network social media must be respectful, polite and should not risk anyone’s safety or welfare. If in the view of Network personnel and administrators of the particular social media site they feel your use does not meet these criteria then they may ban your involvement on Network social media. Any significant breach of these Terms will be reported to them and/or statutory authorities.

The Network accepts no liability or responsibility for materials on Network social media, nor reliance on them by users of Network social media. Such material may be out of date and is not contextualised to the circumstances of each user. The Network accepts no liability for use of content or advisory actions taken from content on Network social media. All actions, decisions and practice are the responsibility of the individual user or organisation and not Network or the particular social media site.

The Network (including staff, contractors and volunteers) is not liable for any financial loss, business loss, reputational loss or damage, other damage (financial or other), or other consequence, direct or indirect as a result of the use of Network social media and its contents including inappropriate, improper or fraudulent use of such content.

Disclaimer

The content on the Website is provided for general information only.  Although we make reasonable efforts to update the information on the Website, the Network accepts no liability or responsibility for Materials on the Website, nor reliance on them by users of the Website. Such Material may be out of date and is not contextualised to the circumstances of each user.

Your Contributions

You agree to only use our Website for lawful purposes and that any information that you provide in connection with, or which forms part of, our Website will be, as far as you are aware, true and accurate and will not infringe any copyright or trade mark, or any right of privacy, publicity or personality or any other right, whether registered or unregistered, of any other nature or any person, or be obscene or libelous or blasphemous or defamatory and you agree to indemnify us against all claims, proceedings, damages, liabilities and costs, including legal costs arising out of your breach of this term.

Links

Our website includes links to other internet sites. Without limiting what we say elsewhere, any links to other sites is not an endorsement and we make no representations or warranties about those sites or their content, nor that the links work. Following links to other sites are at your own risk and the Network bears no responsibility or liability for them or for any consequential damage or loss to you caused by visiting that site. This includes connections to third-party donation sites online that are provided. Online donor providers are suggested with no guarantee of security and the Network is not liable for any loss, damage or other consequence by your use of these sites. You are invited to read their privacy policies and terms and conditions.

You may link to the Website provided it is fair, legal and does not undermine the reputation of the Network but you must not use any link to suggest endorsement or similar from the Network. If the Network believes the link to be damaging, inappropriate, commercially advantageous to your organisation or exploitative of the Network you will be asked to remove it immediately.

Data Protection

We comply with all applicable data protection laws in the UK. For a description of how we use your personal data, please see our Website Privacy Policy.

Intellectual Property

Our website, its style and structure, and the materials and information on our website are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, and may not be used by you except as expressly provided in these Terms. The authors of the documents on our website assert their moral rights. www.dcnetwork.org and Donor Conception Network are registered trademarks of the Network.

You may use Material and content on the Website for non-commercial and educative purposes and in doing so must acknowledge copyright of the material. Unauthorised use of the Material, including but not limited to its reproduction, storage, modification, distribution or republication, without the prior written consent of the Network or, where applicable, the respective copyright owner(s), is prohibited.

Warranty and Indemnity

You warrant to the Network that you will not use our Website, the Material or any part thereof in any manner that (i) is in contravention of any applicable law or regulation, (ii) will infringe the copyright, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights of third parties, (iii) will violate the privacy, publicity or other personal rights of others or (iv) is defamatory, obscene, threatening, abusive or hateful.

You shall indemnify and hold harmless the Network, its employees and agents, against all claims, liability, losses (direct or indirect), damages and expenses including, without limitation, legal fees and costs arising out of or incurred as a result of any claims made, or litigation brought, against the Network, its employees and agents, as a result of the use by you of the Website, the Material or any part thereof in any manner, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Our Liability

Use of our Website is at your own personal risk. We hereby disclaim all warranties and conditions concerning the Material and any goods or services supplied in relation to the Website, whether express or implied or statutory (including all implied warranties and conditions of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose).

The Network (including trustees, staff, contractors and volunteers) are not liable for any financial loss, business loss, reputational loss or damage, other damage (financial or other), or other consequence, direct or indirect as a result of the use of the Website and the Materials including inappropriate, improper or fraudulent use of such content. We do not exclude or limit in any way our liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so. This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or the negligence of our employees, agents or subcontractors and for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

Viruses

The Network is not liable for any infection, virus, denial of service or other destructive action property or contamination caused by your use of the Website or the Materials. The Network does not warrant that the Website and server of the service is provided interruption free, error free, virus or other destructive property or contamination free. You are responsible for configuring your information technology, computer programmes and platform to access our website. You should use your own virus protection software.

Online transactions

The Network reserves the right to vary event registration fees and the prices of goods without notice.  All event registrations and orders for goods are subject to availability and the Network reserves the right to refuse to accept any registration and to refuse to supply any goods to any individual.

Online purchases are administered through Stripe and GoCardless. Although Stripe and GoCardless use encryption security software where online payment details are accepted, the security of information and payments transmitted via the internet cannot be guaranteed.  The Network shall not be liable for any loss incurred or sustained by any User who transmits information via e-mail or other internet links.

General

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and the Network and supersede all other (prior or contemporaneous) communications and proposals, whether electronic or written, between you and the Network.

Any failure of the Network to exercise or enforce any of its rights under these Terms shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any such rights or operate so as to bar the subsequent exercise or enforcement of any such rights.

Network shall not be held to be in breach of its obligations hereunder nor liable to you for any loss or damage which may be suffered by another party due to any cause beyond its reasonable control including without limitation any act of God, fire, storm, flood, lightening, disease, pandemic, strike, trade dispute, war, act of terrorism, any act or omission of government or regulatory bodies or communications operators.

Please note that these Terms, their subject matter and their formation, are governed by English law. We both agree that the courts of England and Wales will have exclusive jurisdiction except that if you are a resident of Northern Ireland, you may also bring proceedings in Northern Ireland, and if you are resident of Scotland, you may also bring proceedings in Scotland.

Complaints

If you believe that your intellectual property or other rights are being infringed by our website, or if you are dissatisfied with our website or any aspect of our service, in the first instance please contact enquires@dcnetwork.org or on +44 020 7278 2608.

Approved on 23rd July 2025 by:

Sue Dean – Chair of the Board of Trustees