CHARITIES in York will soon no longer be able to contact residents about their news, events and fundraising appeals - if people do not wish to be informed.

St Leonard’s Hospice and York Against Cancer are among the charities who will not be able to send emails, post or any other form of communication to residents after May 25 if people do not want to be contacted.

This is because of new General Data Protection Regulations that are coming into force.

There are only a few days left to make sure you keep hearing from St Leonard’s, but residents have until April 30 if they want to opt out of being contacted by York Against Cancer.

St Leonard’s has mailed every person on their database to ensure that in the future they only contact people who have explicitly given their consent.

They have sent forms to around 27,000 people, asking them to send back their consent in a pre-paid envelope before the deadline tomorrow (January 6). Consent can also be logged online at the hospice website if preferred.

Dawn Clements, director of fundraising at St Leonard’s, said: “Even if you hear from us currently this will stop from next week if you haven’t filled the form in.

“These changes in regulation will have a huge impact on us. It has taken time and money to ensure we fully comply, and it will reduce the size of our database.”

She added that the St Leonard’s has always had a “considered approach” to communicating with supporters.

York Against Cancer has contacted people on its database to inform them that they will need to opt out of being contacted in the future.

The charity’s general manager Julie Russell said: “At York Against Cancer we really value our relationship with our supporters and we want to keep them as informed as possible about the great things we can achieve with the money they give us. “The new General Data Protection Regulations will be good news for the public, making sure their privacy is respected, and for charities like ours who will know that the information we’re sending out is hitting its target audience.”

People who would like to be contacted by York Against Cancer do not need to do anything.

But those who would rather the charity did not contact them can email office@yorkagainstcancer.org.uk or write to the charity at 31 North Moor Road, Huntington, YO32 9QN. Head your letter or email OPT OUT and tell the charity your name, address, postcode and email details and it will remove you from its database.