Membership Terms and Conditions
Thank you for becoming a member of BMSTC. Your membership supports vital therapies for people living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). By joining, you agree to these rules, which are governed by our official Articles of Association.
1. Your Personal Information and Privacy
- How We Use Data: We only use your basic personal details to manage your membership. Joining does not give us permission to use your details for marketing or fundraising.
- Health and Health Data: Because we provide medical therapies, any health information you share is protected by strict legal safeguards.
- Privacy Documents: We do not store your bank or card details. You can request our full Privacy Notice at any time to see how we protect your rights.
- Please note we use a number of third party providers to store personal and relevant medical data in line with our GDPR, privacy and data protection policies which can be viewed on request. These include Beacon CRM and Cliniko. We would never sell or share your data for commercial gain.
2. Marketing and Updates
- Your Choice: Receiving updates about fundraising, events, newsletters, or volunteering is completely optional.
- Opting In/Out: We will ask for your marketing choices separately. You can change your mind or opt out at any time by emailing our Membership Officer at ms@bmstc.org or by clicking the ‘unsubscribe’ option on the newsletter.
3. Length of Membership and Fees
- Membership Term: Membership lasts for exactly one year. Fees are set by the Trustee Board and approved by members at our general meetings.
- Automatic Renewal: If you pay by annual or monthly Direct Debit or standing order, your membership will automatically renew at the end of the year.
- Direct Debit Guarantee: All Direct Debits are fully protected by the official Direct Debit Guarantee. We will always give you 10 working days’ notice before changing any payment amounts or dates.
4. Fee Changes and Reminders
- Price Changes: We will never raise your fee in the middle of a year you have already paid for. Any fee increases will only apply when you renew, and we will write to notify you in advance.
- Reminders: If you do not pay automatically, we will contact you before your membership expires to invite you to renew.
5. Keeping Your Details Up to Date
Please let us know if your contact details, communication preferences, or Gift Aid status change by emailing ms@bmstc.org.
6. Leaving Us or Changing Your Membership
- How to Cancel: You can cancel your membership at any time by emailing nikki@bmstc.org. Unused portions of annual fees cannot be refunded.
- Cancelling Payments: Please note that cancelling a Direct Debit with your bank stops the payment, but you must still contact the Centre to formalise your resignation.
- Late Payments: Under our charity rules, if a membership fee is left unpaid for twelve (12) months, your membership will automatically end.
- Concessions: If your financial circumstances change, please contact us in confidence to discuss discounted concession rates.
7. Changes to Your Benefits
We always try to offer excellent benefits and subsidised therapies. However, we reserve the right to change or withdraw specific membership perks. We will always give you advance notice of any major changes.
8. Your Rights as a Charity Member
- Voting: You have the right to vote on major structural decisions at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) or Extraordinary General Meetings.
- Membership Decisions: The Committee has the right to refuse or end a membership. However, if the Committee asks a member to resign, they must give that person 14 days’ written notice and the right to respond accordingly.
- £1 Financial Protection: In the highly unlikely event that the charity closes down with unpaid debts, your personal financial liability is strictly limited to a maximum of £1.00 sterling.
For a full breakdown of member governance rules, you can request a copy of the BMSTC Articles of Association from the Centre administration.