A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site.

Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information that you supply about your preferences.

By visiting this site, you agree to our use of cookies and other similar technologies. The cookies we use do not store personal details, such as payment card numbers.  Here are the main types of cookies and what they do:

  • We use ‘strictly necessary’ cookies to enable you to get the information or service you have asked for. They are essential and without them some services may not work and the functionality of our site may be affected.
  • We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our site in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.
  • We use performance cookies to collect information about the pages you visit, where you go most often and whether you see error messages. The information is only used to ensure our site works well. We gather information to diagnose problems and issues. We then use it to make improvements and fix errors.
  • We use functional cookies which remember choices you have made and data you have previously supplied to personalise our site for you. They may remember changes you have made to help you browse, such as increasing the text size or may remember personal details you have provided so that you do not need to input them again.
  • We use targeting or advertising cookies which collect information about your browsing habits which are then used to supply you with targeted and personalised on and offline advertising and marketing. They remember if you have visited a website and share this information with advertisers. They enable us to ensure that the content we provide on our site is aligned to your browsing habits. For example to remind you of products and services that you have shown an interest in. These may be used anonymously by third parties to serve advertisements on our behalf across the internet based on your interaction with our site through cookies, quizzes and other technologies. This information may be used by us and our third parties to analyse and track data, as well as to deliver advertising, marketing and content that is based on your interests, including which adverts or content to limit you seeing/ receiving as your browsing history suggests you have no interest in them. These services are provided on our site or by our carefully selected and monitored partners, and we are committed to ensuring any information is used appropriately.

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us. You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of our site.