Got a Question?
If you've got any questions about your Ocean Stars donation, please choose a category below and see if your question is already covered.
If you can't find what you need or have further questions, please email our friendly Supporter Care team at oceanstarstrust@gmail.com.
Ways to donate
How do I donate online?
You can make both monthly and one-off donations in just a couple of minutes. Click the DONATE button at the top of the screen.
Which methods can I use to Donate on-line?
You can make one-off donations with debit/credit cards that use Visa, Visa Debit and Mastercard via our DONATE page or through PayPal.
Monthly donations can be made through either PayPal or by setting up a donation on our website here.
How do I donate by phone?
Always happy to receive donations over the phone. Donate by calling our Supporter Care team here.
How do I donate by post/cheque?
Always happy to receive donations by post, you need to send here.
If you want to send a cheque, please make it payable to Ocean Stars Trust. Our postal address is here.
Don't forget to Gift Aid if you can - Gift Aid Online Form - Gift Aid Form to print and send.
How else can I support without donating?
There are many ways you can support Ocean Stars. Including donating, fundraising and many more.
Monthly Donations
How do I change my direct debit and bank account details?
You can change your monthly amount at any time. However, remember it may not take effect immediately.
It's best if you contact our Support Care team here.
How do I change my donation amount?
We understand that sometimes people's circumstances change. If you need to reduce your donation for a while, or you'd like to increase your donation, please contact our Support Care Team by emailing oceanstarstrust@gmail.com.
How do I change my PayPal monthly donation?
All changes to PayPal are between yourself and PayPal. You will need to log in to your Pay Pal account.
How do I do I cancel my monthly donation?
We would be disappointed to see you go, but we understand people's circumstances change. Please contact our Support Care Team here.
You can also choose to reduce your monthly amount by speaking to our Supported Care Team.
Gift Aid
What is gift aid?
Gift Aid is an arrangement that allows charities to reclaim tax on a donation made by a UK taxpayer, which means your donations with be worth 25% more to us at no extra cost to you!
It can only be claimed when the donor is a UK taxpayer and is donating from their own funds. If the donor pays less Income and/or Capital Gains Tax in that tax year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all their donations, it will be their responsibility to pay the difference.
How do I claim Gift Aid?
Claiming Gift Aid on your donations is quick and easy. During whichever way you choose to donate; the option to add Gift Aid will be clearly signposted. Gift Aid will stay in place until you contact us to cancel it.
If you need to complete our separate Gift Aid Form, you can online or download and print it.
How do I cancel my gifts and status?
Contact our Supported Care Team here.
Other Common Questions
How much of my donation goes to helping children?
We are committed to making sure our income is used efficiently, effectively, and responsibility so that every penny counts. In 2024 95% of our income went towards charitable activities. Ocean Stars Trust UK is run by volunteers, so a small amount is spent on administration expenses. Full details can be found in our annual report here.
Can I have my donation refunded?
At Ocean Stars, we work hard to ensure you have a trouble-free journey when donating, however, we realise errors can happen. Under charity law, charities are not permitted to refund donations, other than in specific circumstances. Find out more by reading the Charities Act 2011.
We are a friendly bunch but we will have to ask questions to determine what's happened so we can help in any way. We are committed to the highest standards of legal compliance.
Please contact us here in the first instance and we will advise you.
I’ve received an email about my donation is that genuine?
It is always possible that someone who is not connected to Ocean Stars may fraudulently claim to be raising money for us by email, phone etc.
If you are concerned that somebody is not genuine contact our Supporter Care Team here.
If you receive an email from us, it will be because you have previously donated, taken part in one of our events, registered to receive newsletters. receive newsletters. All our emails will come from XXXXXXXX.?
Emails from other addresses asking for donations are NOT genuine. Check you are on a genuine Ocean Stars donation page. Any websites, ads or emails claiming to be from us that direct you to pages other than asking for money are likely to be fraudulent. Contact your bank immediately if you think you may have shared your card details on a website that is not genuine. We also receive donations from JustGiving. If you are asked to donate via one of these sites, please check that the link that has been sent by somebody you know and trust.
Please contact us if you think you have received a scam email.
If you can't find what you need or have further questions, please visit our FAQ pages to see the most commonly asked questions.
