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Privacy Policy: Springwatch Wildlife Hero Awards 2024

Why are we doing this and how can you participate?

Springwatch is produced by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Productions Limited (“Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Studios”) for the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and we are collecting nominations for the Springwatch Wildlife Hero awards.

The Uploader is a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ service and the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ has let us use it so you can easily send us your nomination.

What personal data will we collect and how will we use it?

When you nominate someone for an award you will be providing us with your personal information and with their personal information, specifically their name and contact information along with details about their wildlife work. If that person is under the age of 18, you are confirming to us to by submitting the nomination that you have obtained the consent of the parent or guardian and they have been provided a copy of this privacy notice.

In the case the nominee is under the age of 18, we will also be processing the name and contact information of the parent or guardian.

Where the nomination is for a Group, you will be providing us with your personal information along with details of the Group, like the name, contact information for the Group Leader and details of the Group’s wildlife work. If the members of the Group are predominately under the age of 18, please avoid providing personal details of the individual members. By submitting a nomination for a Group, you are confirming to us to by submitting the nomination that you have obtained the consent of the Group Leader and they have been provided a copy of this privacy notice. We will be in touch with you/the Group Leader for more information and to get parental consent when required.

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Studios will only use personal data:

  • to allow you to use the Uploader to submit your nomination (including storing your nomination);
  • to do the background checks detailed below;
  • to review the nomination to see if it meets our requirements;
  • to use the nomination as needed as set out in the award Terms and Conditions, including administering the award;
  • for publicity or promotional purposes as set out below;
  • to contact you, the nominees or their parent/guardian if we need to;
  • to retain details of the winner and shortlisted nominees of the award for our legal purposes; and
  • to retain details in accordance with the contact permissions you have given us;

Who is the Data Controller and what is the lawful basis for processing?

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Productions Limited (“Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Studios”) is a commercial subsidiary of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and is the “data controller” of this information. We will use this information to administer the award selection process and relies on its legitimate interests as a media organisation to process your personal information as the nominator, the personal information of the nominee or, where the nominee is under 18, explicit consent of the parent or guardian. We will not process personal information where a data subject’s rights override our interests, for example where a shortlisted nominee withdraws from the process.

Sharing personal information and publicity

The personal information will generally be restricted to relevant members of the Springwatch production team and crew. Shortlisted nominees will have their first names or group name and stories shared with a panel of celebrity judges.

Winners and their proposer/family and other shortlisted entrants may be asked to film a short section with the Springwatch production team and crew and may be asked to appear on a future episode of Springwatch. If this is the case, additional privacy information will be provided and, where the winners are under 18, consent will be needed from the parent or guardian.

Where necessary, we may also share information with other Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Studios staff and the commissioning broadcaster, with our professional advisors, or as otherwise required by law.

Background checks

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Studios may need to carry out background checks on the proposed shortlisted nominees. It is important that Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Studios is aware of anything in the nominee’s background that could have the potential to Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Studios, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ or the Springwatch Wildlife Hero Award into disrepute.

These verification checks include but are not limited to:

  • Internet searches
  • Searches of any publicly available social media accounts held

Subject to the outcome of these searches, nominees may be disqualified from proceeding.

Personal data about the nominee(s) that will be used for this purpose

  • Their name or group name
  • Their email address (if over 18)
  • Contact number (if over 18)
  • Any other information given to us
  • The search results which contain their stories, experience and opinions

Retaining a nominee’s personal information

For all nominees who are not selected as a winner, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Studios will retain their information for 6 months after the competition has closed. For nominees under 18, we will keep the details of their parent or guardian for 6 months after the competition has closed. We will also retain the nominators personal information (if different) for this duration.

For winners, we will keep their information, their nominators information, and where under 18 the information of their parent or guardian, for 2 years from the date winners are announced. Personal information related to a winner’s participation in a broadcast will be retained indefinitely. This is for regulatory compliance purposes. After these retention periods we will then destroy it in line with the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Personal Data Retention Policy.

Data subject rights and more information

Data protection law gives a data subject certain rights in relation to their personal data, including the right to request from the controller access to and rectification or erasure of their personal data or restriction of its processing, and to object to processing. If a nominee or their parent/guardian wishes to exercise these rights, or if they have any questions about how Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Studios handles their personal information, please contact dataprotection@bbc.com or visit .

If there are concerns about how Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Studios has handled personal information, the data subject or their parent/guardian should contact us in the first instance. If they are dissatisfied with our response, they are entitled to lodge a complaint the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): .

For more information about how the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Studios processes data please see the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Privacy Policy, available at