Cookies are small pieces of information sent by a web server to a web browser, which enables the server to collect information from the browser. Essentially a cookie takes the form of a small text file deposited on your computer’s hard drive.
Examples of what cookies do:
- Allow websites recognise that you have already given a username and password (signed in to a website) so you don’t need to do it for every web page requested
- Allow the measurement of activity on websites e.g. to discover what the most popular content areas/pages are
- Analyse visitor data to help us understand how you use our website e.g. are you a new visitor, or a returning one? When are our busiest times?
What do we use them for?
We use cookies to ensure that you can interact with our websites successfully and to keep track of your browsing patterns. If you want to prevent our cookies from being stored on your computer in future, you may do so by referring to your internet browser’s instructions.
Like all organisations, we have to assess the use and impact of our work: on our website to do this we use a type of ‘tracking cookie’. This is used to monitor the volume of usage of our website. This does not identify individuals, rather it identifies visits. For a visit we record anonymously what content is viewed on the site during that visit. We use this data to understand which areas are most used which, in turn, informs improvements in our services to you.
Can I delete cookies after my visit to your site?
Yes, you can control them through your internet browser.
What cookies are not
Cookies do not identify you personally and they do not hold your personal data. There is nothing sinister about the cookies used on this website!
Cookies do not allow us, nor do we seek to “secretly” collect personal data about you.
The use of cookies does not give access to the rest of your computer.
Our website can only access those cookies it uses to operate. We do not have access to the cookies from other websites, and in turn other websites do not have access to cookies used by this website.