Cookie Policy

Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how this website uses cookies and what you can do to manage how cookies are used.

Questions you may ask about cookies

We are continually evaluating and improving how we present our content to you, we use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our websites.

What are cookies?

A cookie is a small file that we save onto your device when you visit our websites. Most of the cookies we use will need your permission, by way of 'Consent', to allow us to do this.

Some cookies, (usually session cookies) are essential, and do not require your Consent. However, regardless of whether we need your Consent or not, we will inform you if we are using them, by including information within this Cookie Policy. Cookies, and any similar technologies change over time, so please refer to this Cookie Policy at regular intervals to ensure you remain aware of how we use them. Cookies relate to any data, including personal data, and send information back to any website that you visit that recognises the cookie stored in your device.

What is the purpose of Cookies?

There are several different types of cookies used for different purposes. Some of these are for our benefit, to help us improve our website and improving the user experience. Others are to ensure security and help prevent fraud and are strictly necessary to provide the 'information society service' (requesting content to load on a webpage/a service over the internet) requested by you. Other types of cookie are more aligned to your preferences, such as what we think you might like to see in terms of direct marketing of our services.

Cookies allow us to distinguish you from other users of the website. We understand that everyone is unique and has different preferences. By using cookies, we can tailor the direct marketing that you see, and we can understand the webpages you may be most interested in, so your browsing experience is better for you. We can give you more choices when using cookies, such as saving your username, so you do not have to type this in every time you log into your account. When we place a cookie on your device, it is retrieved by the website that placed it there in the first place, or any other website, which may use that specific cookie.

Cookies cannot be executed as code or used to deliver viruses and they cannot enable us to access your hard drive. We cannot read any information on your hard drive even if we store cookies there.

What if I use more than one device?

Cookies relate to each device, and therefore if you are accessing the same webpage from multiple devices (phone, iPad, and laptop for example), you need to set your cookie preferences for each device. If you say no to marketing cookies on your laptop for example, you will still get marketing on your phone if you have not also selected your preferences specifically on your phone.

What are the different categories of cookies?

• Session Cookies are operational only for the duration that you are accessing a website. Once you close your browser, the cookie is deleted. These types of cookies are normally used for ensuring security when you connect to the webpage, or to save things you do for that session, such as items you add to a shopping basket.
• Persistent Cookies remain stored in your device until they expire (some cookies have an expiration date), or until you delete them. These types of cookies are usually used to capture your behaviour when you access a website, such as how long you spend on a page, which pages you have viewed, as well as your preferences for marketing and advertising or our events.

What are the different types of cookies?

• Essential Cookies. We uses 'Essential Cookies' for what we regard as the essential functions of our websites, such as ensuring the security of the webpage you are visiting and enabling functionality that allows you to move around and use the website, storing items in your shopping basket.
• Analytical and Performance Cookies 'Performance Cookies' monitor how many people visit the website, how long people spend viewing the website, and which pages are visited for the longest period. This is not an exhaustive list, but an indication of the purposes of Performance Cookies. Analytical Cookies then analyse this activity further.
• Functional Cookies These are cookies that can remember who you are, and the preferences that you have chosen, for example, language and appearance of the webpage, which may depend on the browser you are using. This type of cookie, also remembers your cookie preferences.
• Marketing and Advertising Cookies These Cookies are used to provide marketing and specific tailored adverts to you. Cookies for these purposes, can be set by us and are called 'First Party Cookies' and operate on our own websites only.
• Third Party Cookies. We use some third-party services on our websites. If you go to a page on our websites that contains this embedded content you may be sent cookies from these websites, for example Vimeo, Google maps, Facebook and Twitter. We do not control the setting of these cookies, so please check the third-party website for more information about their cookies and how to manage them.

What type of data do cookies contain?

This list is not an exhaustive list, and the type of data will depend on specific websites, and the purpose of the Cookie:

• Websites you visited and browsing history
• The type of device you are using
• Software and hardware on your device
• A unique id
• A session id
• A session start and end time
• Specific pages you have looked at
• Date you visited the website
• Expiry data of the cookie
• Passwords and user names
• Your preferences
• IP address

How do I give 'Consent' for using cookies?

There are a few ways in which you can give Consent for using Cookies that need your consent.

• You can click the box or boxes that pop up to allow us to use them when you first visit each of our websites, and periodically when you continue to use each website.
• You can choose your preferences by enabling and disabling cookies within the browser you are using, for example, within Google Chrome, Safari or Mozilla Fire Fox.

How do I withdraw 'Consent' for using cookies?

To withdraw consent for cookies

• You can go into your browser settings and change the Cookie preferences you have made.
• You may need to remove the persistent cookie text files that have an expiry date in the future.
• You may deselect or reselect alternative preferences, with tick boxes, where those options exist.

How can I control the use of cookies?

Most internet browsers automatically accept cookies unless you change your browser settings. If you wish to restrict, block or delete the cookies which are set by any websites, you can generally do this through your browser settings. These settings are usually found in the 'options' or 'preferences' menu of your internet browser.

Please note however that if you set your internet browser preferences to block all cookies, you may not be able to access all or parts of our websites.

Unless you have adjusted your internet browser settings to block cookies, our site will set cookies.

To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit http://www.aboutcookies.org.uk/ or https://www.allaboutcookies.org/ .

How to change or stop how we communicate with you?

You can opt out of our emails by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our messages.

If you wish to change or stop how we communicate with you, please get in touch with us – details are set out at the end of our Privacy Notice on this website.

This policy was last updated on 28 January 2021.