What is a Cookie?
Cookies are tiny text files 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. We use cookies to keep track of the options you have selected on the website either for the duration of your visit (using a ‘session cookie’) or for repeat visits (using a ‘persistent cookie’).
To get the best experience, you need to have cookies enabled. If you don’t wish to enable cookies, you will still be able to use the site but you may not be able to use some of the essential features we offer such as: 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 example, 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.
Some websites will also use cookies to enable them to target their advertising or marketing messages based for example, on your location and/or browsing habits.
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’).
How do we use cookies?
Like most websites, we use cookies to provide you with more relevant and useful information. We don’t store personally identifiable information such as credit card details in cookies we create, but we do use information gathered from cookies to help improve your experience of the site.
We do not use Cookies to target advertising or marketing messages based for example, on your location and/or browsing habits on our website.
A visit to a page on our website may generate the following types of cookie:
- Google Analytics Cookies (These cookies are used to collect anonymous information about how visitors use our website. We use the information to compile reports and to help us improve the website.):
- _utma
- _utmb
- _utmc
- _utmz
- Content Management System Cookie (This cookie is set by our content management system upon arrival to our website. It is not used for any purpose and is deleted when a user closes their browser.):
- CMSSESSID
- Cookies Preference (This cookie is used to remember that you have seen our cookies notification.):
- cookiesDirective
How do I turn cookies off?
All modern browsers allow you to change your cookie settings. These settings will typically be found in the ‘options’ or ‘preferences’ menu of your browser. In order to understand these settings, the following links may be helpful, otherwise you should use the ‘Help’ option in your browser for more details.
NOTE: Turning off cookies may hinder the performance of this website and some features may not work correctly.
Cookie settings in Internet Explorer
Cookie settings in Firefox
Cookie settings in Chrome
Cookie settings in Safari
If you are primarily concerned about third party cookies generated by advertisers, you can turn these off by going to the Your Online Choices site.
You can also visit the trade body representing these advertising platforms for more information: Network Advertising Initative.
They have provided a one-stop place that gathers all of the opt-out controls. Please bear in mind that the are many more networks listed than we use on this site.
More information about the types of Cookies
Session Cookies
Session Cookies are stored only temporarily during a browsing session and are deleted from the user’s device when the browser is closed.
Persistent Cookies
This type of cookie is saved on your computer for a fixed period (usually a year or longer) and is not deleted when the browser is closed. Persistent cookies are used where we need to know who you are for more than one browsing session. For example, we use this type of cookie to store your preferences, so that they are remembered for the next visit.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms.
You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.
- System Cookies – These cookies are used by our website to store anonymous session and login tokens. They may identify you as a single user when you move between pages, but carry no personally identifiable information and are destroyed when you close your browser, unless you actively choose to be remembered for easier login on your next visit.
- Hosting Cookies – These cookies are set by our hosting provider to help load pages as efficiently as possible. They contain unique but random values and are destroyed as soon as you close your browser.
First party Cookies
First party cookies are set by the website, you are visiting and they can only be read by that site.
- Performance Cookies – These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site.We use Google Analytics to provide this service, which uses first party cookies. The data collected is not shared with any other party.The information we get through the use of these cookies is anonymised and we make no attempt to identify you, or influence your experience of the site while you are visiting it. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to include your visit in our statistics.
If you have used a Do Not Track browser setting, we take this as a sign that you do not want to allow these cookies, and they will be blocked.
Web Browser Cookies
If you don’t want to receive cookies, you can modify your browser so that it notifies you when cookies are sent to it or you can refuse cookies altogether. You can also delete cookies that have already been set.
If you wish to restrict or block web browser cookies which are set on your device, then you can do this through your browser settings; the Help function within your browser should tell you how. Alternatively, you may wish to visit www.aboutcookies.org , which contains comprehensive information on how to do this on a wide variety of desktop browsers.
Our website will work without cookies, but you will lose some features and functionality if you choose to disable cookies.
Do Not Track (DNT) Browser Setting
DNT is a feature offered by some browsers which, when enabled, sends a signal to websites to request that your browsing is not tracked, such as by third party ad networks, social networks and analytic companies.
Adobe Flash Player Cookies
Many websites use Adobe Flash Player to deliver video and game content to their users. Adobe utilise their own cookies, which are not manageable through your browser settings but are used by the Flash Player for similar purposes, such as storing preferences or tracking users.
Flash Cookies work in a different way to web browser cookies; rather than having individual cookies for particular jobs, a website is restricted to storing all data in one cookie. You can control how much data can be stored in that cookie, if you wish to restrict or block Flash Cookies, then you must do this on the Adobe website.
Please be aware that restricting the use of Flash Cookies may affect the features available to you.
Third Party Cookies
Third party cookies are set by a different organisation to the owner of the website you are visiting. For example, we sometimes embed photos and video content from websites such as flickr and YouTube. Pages with this embedded content may present cookies from these websites. Similarly, when you use one of the share buttons on our website, a cookie may be set by the service you have chosen to share content through. We do not control the dissemination of these cookies and this tool will not block cookies from those websites. You should check the relevant third party website for more information about these.
A website might use a third party advertising network to deliver targeted advertising on their website. These may also have the capability to track your browsing across different sites. We do not use advertising cookies on our site.
Mobile Device & TV Apps
On devices such as mobile phones, tablets and smart TVs, instead of cookies, information collected from or stored to your device may be used to ‘remember’ you or provide you with the content you have requested.
Similar Technologies to Cookies
When you view websites or emails, technologies that are similar to cookies may be set to analyse and understand how the website is used and whether the email has been read.
