Complaints

You can write to us anonymously at the postal address above. We will still look into what you tell us.

We will not be able to reply to you, ask you anything, or tell you what we decided. If you want an answer, please give us a way to contact you.

Fundraising means any way we ask people for money or other support.

If you are unhappy with our reply, or you have not heard from us within four weeks, you can go to the Fundraising Regulator. It is free to use and independent of us.

The Fundraising Regulator can normally look at a complaint within one year of you finding out about the problem. It cannot look at anything more than six years after the event.

Fundraising Regulator50 Featherstone Street, London, EC1Y 8RT0300 999 3407, Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4.30pmfundraisingregulator.org.uk (opens in a new tab)

The Fundraising Regulator covers our fundraising across the whole of the UK, including Scotland.

Personal information means anything that identifies you, like your name, address or email address.

You have a legal right to complain to us if you think we have broken data protection law. Responsibility for data protection sits with our Chief Executive.

You can also complain to the Information Commission, the UK regulator for data protection. You can do this at any time. We ask you to come to us first so we have a chance to put things right.

Information Commission4th Floor, No.3 Circle Square5 Hawkshaw StreetManchesterM1 7BL0303 123 1113Textphone 18001 0303 123 1113ico.org.uk (opens in a new tab)

We send a newsletter by email to people who have asked for it.

You can stop these emails at any time. Use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any newsletter, or email us at complaints@nationalemergenciestrust.org.uk (opens in a new tab).

If you tell us to stop sending you marketing emails, we have to stop. You do not need to give a reason.

You can also use the Fundraising Preference Service. It lets you stop emails, calls, texts and post from a charity you name. It is run by the Fundraising Regulator and is free.

Fundraising Preference Servicepublic.fundraisingpreference.org.uk (opens in a new tab)

If you think one of our adverts is offensive, misleading or wrong, you can complain to the Advertising Standards Authority. You can also go to them about how much post or email you get from a charity.

Advertising Standards Authorityasa.org.uk (opens in a new tab)

If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.

Most concerns are best raised with us first. This gives us the chance to explain or to put something right.

Some serious concerns can go to a charity regulator. These include a charity losing significant money or assets, serious harm to people, or criminal activity.

We are registered in England and Wales, and in Scotland.

In England and Wales, the Charity Commission is our lead regulator. You can raise a concern using its online form.

forms.charitycommission.gov.uk/Raising-Concerns/ (opens in a new tab)

In Scotland, the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) handles concerns about how we meet Scottish charity law. You can raise a concern using its online form.

oscr.org.uk/raise-a-concern/concern-form/ (opens in a new tab)

Neither regulator handles fundraising complaints. Those go to the Fundraising Regulator.

Staff and volunteers can raise a concern about serious wrongdoing under our internal whistleblowing policy. Ask us for a copy.

You can also go outside the organisation. The Charity Commission takes reports of serious wrongdoing from people who work or volunteer for a charity. The Fundraising Regulator takes reports about fundraising practice.

Section 164A of the Data Protection Act 2018 gives you the right to complain to us as the organisation that decides how your personal information is used. Section 164A was added by section 103 of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 and came into force on 19 June 2026.

Under section 164A we must:

• make it easy for you to complain, including by giving you a form you can fill in electronically and by other means
• let you know we have your complaint within 30 days of receiving it
• take appropriate steps to respond without undue delay, which includes asking questions where appropriate and keeping you updated
• tell you the outcome

Section 165 of the Data Protection Act 2018 gives you the right to complain to the Information Commission. Article 77 of the UK GDPR, which previously carried this right, was repealed on 19 June 2026.

Article 21 of the UK GDPR gives you an absolute right to object to your personal information being used for direct marketing. Direct marketing means advertising or promotional material aimed at particular people. Once you object, we must stop.

We follow the Code of Fundraising Practice, which took effect on 1 November 2025. Section 2.3 of the code requires us to have a clear and publicly available fundraising complaints procedure, to investigate thoroughly and fairly, to respond in a way that suits the complaint, to avoid unnecessary delays, and to review complaints and learn from them.

The Fundraising Regulator handles fundraising complaints about charities whose lead regulator is the Charity Commission for England and Wales. This includes fundraising we carry out in Scotland.

The Equality Act 2010 requires us to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people are not put at a substantial disadvantage. This includes providing information in an accessible format. The Equality and Human Rights Commission code of practice for services, public functions and associations came into force on 5 August 2026.

• Personal information (also called personal data): information that identifies you or could be used to identify you.
• Data controller: the organisation that decides how and why personal information is used. National Emergencies Trust is the data controller for the information described here.
• Direct marketing: advertising or promotional material aimed at particular people, including our email newsletter.
• Lead regulator: where a charity is registered in more than one part of the UK, the regulator that takes the main role. Ours is the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
• Fundraising: any way we ask people for money or other support.