What are ‘cookies’ and how are they used?

Cookies are small files that are used by websites use to help you, the web visitor, navigate the site and access its tools and features. Cookies can also provide high level statistics to assist in improving the website experience.

The cookies used on this site do not store or access any information that could be used to identify you personally, but are necessary to use the site to its full potential.

How do cookies work?

When you visit a website; for example, via a web browser, cookies are placed on your device.  These cookies store information and send them back to the site you have visited. The cookies can be used to provide a profile of the places you visit on a website such as, what pages you visit and how long you spend on them.  A website may use this information to tailor the pages that you see when you visit the site in future.

How to refuse the use of cookies

You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of the website.  By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

For further information on what cookies are and how to refuse them, you can visit the following website https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/online/cookies/

Do websites need permission to use cookies?

Yes. The regulations which set our the rules on cookies changed on 26 May 2011. From that date, websites must now get your consent to use cookies. This means that cookies are not permitted unless you agree to them.

Why does this website use cookies?

We want to provide you with the best possible website experience. We use analytics to gather information about how visitors use our website to help us improve its performance and to ensure that the pages you use are delivered quickly by remembering the areas you like to visit.  We also need to use cookies to enable the use of third-party providers such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

Does this site track my browsing?

 

We use Google Analytics to collect information on how visitors browse our website. This allows us to improve our site for your benefit. This is done through the use of anonymous data.

Google Analytics collects demographic information (age and gender) and interests. The purpose of this is to allow us to improve our content by understanding the audience. An example of anonymous demographic and interest reports can be viewed on the Google Analytics Support site.

You can get further information on the cookies used by Google Analytics from their “Cookies and Google Analytics” page.