Privacy

Privacy Notice version 2

Last updated on 31 March 2026

In the UK, data protection is governed by the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. The UK GDPR and DPA 2018 set out requirements for how organisations need to process personal data.

This website is operated by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH). This privacy notice tells you what to expect when your personal information is collected. It will be revised as required and you are encouraged to revisit the privacy notice regularly to read the latest version.

Please read the following carefully to understand our views and practices regarding your personal data and how we will process it. By visiting fitcount.ceh.ac.uk you are accepting and consenting to the practices described in this policy.

1. Who we are

The FIT Count app and website collect the results of Flower-Insect Timed Counts from countries around the world. They are operated by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), and made available for use by partner organisations in other countries.

• The name and contact details of our organisation:
  • UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
    Maclean Building, Benson Lane
    Crowmarsh Gifford
    Wallingford
    Oxfordshire
    OX10 8BB
    T: +44 (0)1491 838800
    F: +44 (0)1491 692424
• We are a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee with charitable status. We serve as a strategic delivery partner for the Natural Environment Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation.
• The UKCEH Data Protection Officer is Quentin Tucker: [email protected]

UKCEH is the controller for all processing of personal data for the purposes of the FIT Count app. The UKCEH Privacy Notice is here.

2. Why are we collecting your information?

UKCEH is collecting your personal data in order to administer, run and share results from FIT Counts. When you submit counts, your name will be included alongside the count information (including location and time of count) to form the ‘count data’. You may be contacted with queries about the records you provide for the purpose of validating and verifying the survey data. You may also receive information and feedback regarding the FIT Count project in your country.

We will collect the following personal data about you:

• Name
• Email address
• Location and date of any FIT Counts you submit

In data protection terms we are using the following ‘lawful bases’ for collecting, processing and sharing your personal data:

All data held by UKCEH is compliant to UK data protection legislation and the basis on which we process any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us, is covered by the UKCEH privacy notice.

In addition to the information we ask you to provide through the app, we also collect information automatically about visits to the site using Google Analytics and in our server logs. This does not include any personal data but does include:

• Your IP address
• The pages you request, when you request them, and how you interact with them
• The type of device and browser you use

We use this information to support our work in various ways including monitoring performance, improving design, protecting against malicious behaviour and supporting funding applications.

3. How are we storing your information and will we share it?

All of your personal data that we collect will be stored securely in a database for as long as you are signed up to take part in FIT Counts. If you no longer wish to be registered for FIT Counts, please delete your account or contact [email protected] to let us know. The component of your personal data that forms part of the count data (i.e. your name as a count participant, and the location and time of the count) will be kept permanently as part of the scientific dataset. Your account details (including your email address) will be deleted when your account is deleted.

Sharing your email address with others

We will not openly publish your email address. Your email address will be shared with the organisation that is running the FIT Counts in your country. Your country organisation may use your email address to contact you for these purposes:

• To raise a query over your FIT Count results
• To provide feedback on results
• To provide information on taking part in the FIT Count or on further activities related to FIT Counts or the FIT Count app.

Sharing your name that forms part of the count data

Data from the FIT Counts will be shared with other organisations and individuals worldwide for purposes of scientific research. Your name may be included as part of the scientific records in these datasets. As use of count data is for research in the public interest it is retained as part of our work and your personal data (recorder and verifier name) will remain public; open data can be downloaded, remixed, and redistributed by third parties.

Where data is openly published it will be available to anyone and it will be available for use anywhere.
Other than as set out above, and except where we have a legal obligation to so do, we will not share your personal data with anyone else, and will adhere to current UK Data Protection Legislation at all times.

4. Your rights and our contact details

You are entitled to access any of your personal data that we hold. You can view the personal data we hold of yours by logging in to your account on the FIT Count website. Alternatively please contact [email protected] with as much detail as possible on the information you would like us to provide and we will aim to respond within one month.

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data where we have relied on legitimate interest as the lawful basis for processing. You also have the right to request that we restrict or stop processing, rectify or delete your personal data (with the exception of names from datasets that have already been published openly). Where the personal data we hold has not been supplied by yourself, you are entitled to ask how we obtained the personal data. You can request that your FIT Count user account is cancelled at any time by emailing [email protected]

Please contact [email protected] if you wish to progress any of these rights.

If you have any concerns about how your personal data is being used, we will try to answer any questions you have. You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office. You also have the right to an effective judicial remedy against decisions of the Information Commissioner’s Office.

5. Changes to the Privacy Notice for the FIT Count app

This Privacy Notice may be updated from time to time. The latest version will always be available at fitcount.ceh.ac.uk/privacy-notice. If changes are made to this Privacy Notice in the future, a prominent notice will be posted on the website.