Cookies

What they are, how we use them and more

What are cookies?

A cookie is a data file, which often includes a unique identifier, that is sent to your browser from a web server and is then stored on the hard drive of the device you are using to browse the website. Each website you visit can send its own cookie to your browser if your browser's preferences allow it, but to protect your privacy your browser only permits a website to access cookies it has already sent to you, not cookies sent to you by other sites.

Users have the opportunity to set their devices to accept all cookies, to notify them when a cookie is issued, or not to receive cookies at any time. Each browser is different, so check the 'Help' menu of your browser to learn how to change your cookie preferences. Please be aware that blocking cookies may affect the functionality of this website.

How we use cookies

You can find more information about the types of cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them in the table below:

Category 1: Strictly Necessary Cookies
These are required for the operation of a website. Examples are cookies used for online shopping baskets or to protect against fraud.	Notice for users: These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features, such as accessing secure areas of the website. Without these cookies, services you have asked for, like shopping baskets or e-billing, cannot be provided.
Category 2: Analytical/ Performance Cookies
These cookies collect information about how visitors use a website (for example, as part of Google Analytics or Omniture)	Notice for users: These cookies collect information about how visitors use a website, for instance, which pages visitors go to most often, and if they get error messages from web pages. These cookies don’t collect information that identifies a visitor. All information that these cookies collect is aggregated and, therefore, anonymous. It is only used to improve how a website works.
Category 3: Functionality Cookies
These are used to recognise users when they return to a website. They remember user choices and enable the personalisation of content.	Notice for users: These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personal features. These cookies can also be used to remember changes you have made to text size, fonts and other parts of web pages that you can customise. They may also be used to provide services you have asked for such as watching a video or commenting on a blog. Additionally, these cookies can be used to allow an optional service to function such as offering a live chat session. The information these cookies collect may be anonymised and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.
Category 4: Targeting Cookies
These cookies record a user’s visit to a website, the individual pages visited and the links followed. This collection of browsing habits is used to deliver more relevant adverts to the user.	Notice for users: These cookies are used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator’s permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers. Quite often targeting or advertising cookies will be linked to site functionality provided by the other organisation.
Category 5: Social Media Cookies
These cookies allow you to share what you’ve been doing on the website on social media such as Facebook and Twitter.	Notice for users: These cookies are not within our control. Please refer to the respective privacy policies for how their cookies work.

You can also find more about the specific cookies that we use in the table below:

Cookie type	Name	Details	Lifespan
Strictly necessary cookie	cmsa	1st Party Cookie This cookie is created by the Perch CMS to identify you as a user of a Perch licensed product. Perch may use this to verify that a website has been correctly licensed.	1 Month
Performance cookie	_utmc, _utma, _utmb, _utmz, _ga, _gat	3rd Party Cookies These cookies are used to collect information about how visitors use our site. We use the information to compile reports and to help us improve the site. The cookies collect information in an anonymous form, including the number of visitors to the site, where visitors have come to the site from and the pages they visited.	End of Session, 2 years, 30 mins, 7 months, 2 years, 10 mins
Functionality cookie	PHPSESSID	1st Party Cookie This is used by the PHP language to identify you as a unique user. It expires when you close your browser and does not store personal data about you.	End of session

How to control and delete cookies

If you wish to restrict or block the cookies which are set on this website (or, indeed, on any other website) you can do this through your browser settings. The 'help' function within your browser should tell you how.

Alternatively, you may wish to visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org/ which contains comprehensive information on how to do this on a wide variety of browsers. You will also find details on how to delete cookies from your computer, as well as more general information about cookies.

Please be aware that restricting cookies may mean that you will not be able to take full advantage of all the features or services available on this website.

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