Terms & Conditions

1. About Hands of Mercy

Hands of Mercy is a registered charity in England and Wales (Charity No. 1199084). Our mission is to provide holistic care to orphans, widows, and vulnerable families through education, nutrition, livelihood support, and pastoral care. These Terms & Conditions govern your use of the Hands of Mercy website and any donations, sponsorships, or other activities facilitated through it.

2. Acceptance of terms

By accessing homsl.org, creating an account, submitting a donation, or enrolling in a sponsorship, you confirm that you accept these Terms & Conditions and agree to comply with them. If you do not agree to these terms, you must not use our website or services.

3. Eligibility

Our services are intended for supporters aged 18 and over. If you are acting on behalf of an organisation or as a parent/guardian, you represent that you have authority to bind that person or organisation to these terms.

4. Donations and sponsorships

• All donations and sponsorship contributions are voluntary gifts that become the property of Hands of Mercy once received. Funds are applied to our charitable programmes in line with our Articles of Association and annual plan.
• Child sponsorship donations support a pooled fund that provides education, healthcare, and family assistance to sponsored children and their communities. We do not operate a one-to-one remittance model.
• We reserve the right to decline or refund any donation that is contrary to our ethical policy or may bring the charity into disrepute.

5. Recurring gifts and Direct Debits

When you establish a monthly sponsorship or recurring donation you authorise us, and our payment partners Stripe or GoCardless, to collect payments on the schedule you select. You may amend or cancel your Direct Debit at any time by contacting your bank or emailing [email protected].

6. Gift Aid

If you submit a Gift Aid declaration you confirm you are a UK taxpayer and agree that Hands of Mercy can reclaim Gift Aid on your eligible donations. Please notify us if your circumstances change and you no longer meet the criteria or if you wish to withdraw your declaration.

7. User accounts

Certain features (such as viewing sponsorship updates) may require you to create an account. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login details and for all activities that occur under your account. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that are used in breach of these terms.

8. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Use the website in any way that is unlawful or fraudulent.
• Knowingly introduce viruses, trojans, worms, or other harmful material.
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to our systems or data.
• Harass or attempt to directly contact sponsored children or beneficiaries.
• Upload or transmit content that infringes the rights of others or is defamatory, obscene, or hateful.

9. Intellectual property

All content on this website, including logos, photography, videos, and written updates, is the intellectual property of Hands of Mercy or our licensors. You may download or print information for personal use, but you must not reproduce, distribute, or modify it for commercial purposes without our prior written consent.

10. Accuracy of information

We strive to keep information on this website accurate and up to date. However, we do not warrant that the content is complete, reliable, or free from errors. The programme stories and child profiles are provided for supporter engagement and may be anonymised or updated periodically to protect the dignity and safety of the individuals we serve.

11. Limitation of liability

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or fraudulent misrepresentation. Subject to that, Hands of Mercy will not be responsible for any loss or damage (including loss of profits, goodwill, or data) arising from or in connection with the use of our website, reliance on its content, or the inability to donate, provided such loss is not reasonably foreseeable.

12. Third-party links

Our website may include links to third-party sites or services. These links are provided for your convenience. We do not endorse or assume responsibility for third-party content or practices. We recommend reviewing the policies of any external sites you visit.

13. Refunds and cancellations

Our Donations & Refunds Policy sets out how to request a refund or cancel a donation. Please review that policy for full details. Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights.

14. Changes to our services

We may update, suspend, or discontinue any part of the website without notice where necessary for maintenance, security, or legal compliance. We will give supporters reasonable notice of significant changes to donation or sponsorship programmes.

15. Governing law and jurisdiction

These Terms & Conditions, and any dispute or claim arising from them, are governed by the laws of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction, although we retain the right to bring proceedings in your country of residence if you live outside the UK.

16. Contact us

For questions about these terms, please contact Hands of Mercy, Unit 12, Jubilee House, 45 Riverbank Way, London SE1 7QL, United Kingdom, or email [email protected].