Cookie Policy
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a simple text file that is stored on your computer or mobile device by a website’s server and only that server will be able to retrieve or read the contents of that cookie. Each cookie is unique to your web browser. It will contain some anonymous information such as a unique identifier and the site name and some digits and numbers. It allows a website to remember things like your preferences or what’s in your shopping basket.
Information about cookies
What do cookies do? Cookies record information about a website visitors online preferences. They help us to analyse how our website is being used and provide a better user experience. To do this, a cookie is placed on your device to remember the information set by the website. A key example of how cookies are used is via visitor statistics and analytics.
A browser is an application that allows you to surf the internet. Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari are the most popular browsers. Most are secure and provide quick and easy ways to delete information like cookies.
To alter your browser settings you can choose how cookies are handled by your device via your browser settings. The most common browsers allow users to: accept all cookies; to notify you when a cookie is issued or to not receive cookies at any time. If you choose not to receive cookies at any time, the website may not function properly, and certain services will not be provided, ruining your experience of the website. Each browser varies, so check the “Help” menu of your browser to learn how to change your cookie preferences.
Most websites you visit will use cookies to improve your user experience by enabling that website to ‘remember’ you, either for the duration of your visit (using a ‘session cookie’) or for repeat visits (using a ‘persistent cookie’). Cookies are part of what makes websites work.
They perform many different jobs, like letting you navigate between pages efficiently, storing your preferences, and generally improving your experience of a website. Cookies make the interaction between you and the website faster and easier. If a website doesn’t use cookies, it will think you are a new visitor every time you move to a
new page on the site, for instance, when you enter your login details and move to another page, it won’t recognise you and it won’t be able to keep you logged in.
Cookies may be set by the website you are visiting (‘first party cookies’) or they may be set by other websites who run content on the page you are viewing (‘third party cookies’). First party cookies are set and can only be read by this website.
Types of cookies we use:
Session cookies
These are stored only for the duration of your visit to a website and are deleted from your device when your browsing session finishes. Without these cookies most sites won’t work at all.
Persistent cookies
These expire at a fixed point in time or if you manually erase them from your browser, whichever occurs first.
First party cookies
These are set and can only be read by this website.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics provide anonymised statistical information about visitors to this website. It processes IP addresses and information from cookies used on this website to record information such as page views, how many users we have, what browsers they are using and in which country, city or region they are located. This enables us to keep track of how individuals use our website. It has no personal information stored and cannot be used to contact you.
Third party cookies – LinkedIn, Facebook, Google Plus and others
These are set by other companies that we use for different services. For instance, Google Analytics service sets cookies on this website to report what is popular and what’s not. The page you are viewing may sometimes contain content embedded from, for example, YouTube and these sites may have their own cookies. Sometimes we may allow you to post a page to one of the above services – to do this a cookie may be set.