Cookie Policy

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and to provide information to website owners.

How Cookies Work

When you visit our website, cookies are downloaded to your device and stored in your browser. These files contain information about your visit, such as:

• Pages you visited and how long you stayed
• Your preferences and settings
• Technical information about your device and browser
• Whether you've visited our site before

Similar Technologies

This policy also covers similar technologies such as:

• Web beacons: Small images embedded in web pages and emails
• Local storage: Data stored locally on your device by web applications
• Session storage: Temporary data stored during your browsing session
• Pixels: Tiny graphics used to track user behaviour

2. Types of Cookies We Use

We use different types of cookies for various purposes. Here's a detailed breakdown:

Essential Cookies (Always Active)

These cookies are necessary for our website to function properly and cannot be disabled. They include:

Analytics Cookies (Optional)

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website:

Marketing Cookies (Optional)

These cookies are used to deliver relevant advertisements and measure their effectiveness:

Functional Cookies (Optional)

These cookies enhance your experience by remembering your preferences:

3. How We Use Cookies

Website Functionality

• Navigation: Ensure smooth navigation between pages
• Form Handling: Maintain form data during submission process
• Error Prevention: Detect and prevent security threats
• Load Balancing: Distribute traffic efficiently across our servers

User Experience Enhancement

• Personalisation: Remember your preferences and settings
• Content Optimisation: Show relevant content based on your interests
• Performance: Load pages faster by caching frequently used data
• Accessibility: Maintain accessibility settings you've chosen

Analytics and Improvement

• Usage Statistics: Understand which pages are most popular
• Performance Monitoring: Identify and fix technical issues
• User Journey Analysis: Improve website navigation and content
• A/B Testing: Test different versions of pages to improve user experience

Marketing and Communication

• Targeted Content: Show relevant information based on your interests
• Email Marketing: Manage newsletter subscriptions and preferences
• Social Integration: Enable sharing and social media features
• Campaign Tracking: Measure effectiveness of marketing efforts

4. Managing Your Cookie Preferences

Cookie Consent Banner

When you first visit our website, you'll see a cookie consent banner with the following options:

• Accept All: Consent to all cookies including analytics and marketing
• Necessary Only: Only essential cookies will be used
• Custom Settings: Choose specific types of cookies to allow

Changing Your Preferences

You can change your cookie preferences at any time by:

• Clicking the "Cookie Settings" link in our website footer
• Using the cookie preference tool on this page
• Contacting us directly using the information below

Browser Settings

You can also control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:

• View and delete existing cookies
• Block cookies from specific websites
• Block all cookies (may affect website functionality)
• Delete cookies when you close your browser

5. Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies on our website are set by third-party services. We work with reputable partners who have their own privacy policies:

Google Services

• Google Analytics: Website analytics and performance monitoring
• Google Fonts: Typography and font loading
• reCAPTCHA: Spam and bot protection for forms

Learn more: Google Privacy Policy

Social Media Platforms

• Facebook: Social sharing and Like buttons
• LinkedIn: Professional network integration
• Twitter: Tweet sharing and embedded content

Content Delivery Networks

• Cloudflare: Website performance and security
• Font Awesome: Icon library

Important: We do not control third-party cookies. Please review the privacy policies of these services for information about their cookie practices.

6. Cookie Security and Privacy

Data Protection Measures

• Encryption: Sensitive cookie data is encrypted
• Secure Transmission: Cookies are transmitted over secure HTTPS connections
• Limited Access: Only authorised personnel can access cookie data
• Regular Audits: We regularly review our cookie practices

Data Minimisation

We follow data minimisation principles:

• Collect only necessary cookie data
• Use the shortest retention periods possible
• Regularly delete expired or unnecessary cookies
• Anonymise data where possible

International Transfers

Some third-party services may process cookie data outside the UK. We ensure adequate protection through:

• Adequacy decisions
• Standard contractual clauses
• Certification schemes
• Binding corporate rules

7. Cookie Retention and Deletion

Retention Periods

Different cookies are retained for different periods:

• Session Cookies: Deleted when you close your browser
• Essential Cookies: Up to 12 months
• Analytics Cookies: Up to 26 months (Google Analytics default)
• Marketing Cookies: Up to 24 months
• Preference Cookies: Up to 12 months

Automatic Deletion

Cookies are automatically deleted when:

• Their expiration date is reached
• You clear your browser data
• You withdraw consent for non-essential cookies
• You use browser private/incognito mode

Manual Deletion

You can manually delete cookies by:

• Using your browser's cookie management tools
• Clearing your browser's data and cache
• Using third-party privacy tools
• Requesting deletion through our contact form

8. Legal Basis for Cookie Processing

Consent

For non-essential cookies, we rely on your explicit consent obtained through our cookie banner. You can withdraw this consent at any time.

Legitimate Interest

For some cookies, we may rely on legitimate interest, such as:

• Website security and fraud prevention
• Basic analytics for website improvement
• Load balancing and performance optimisation

Contract Performance

Some cookies are necessary to fulfil our contractual obligations, such as:

• Processing service requests
• Managing customer accounts
• Delivering requested services

9. Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make changes:

• We'll update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
• Significant changes will be communicated via email or website notice
• We may request renewed consent for material changes
• Changes become effective when posted unless otherwise specified

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about our cookie practices.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about our cookie practices or this policy, please contact us:

For cookie-related complaints or concerns, you can also contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.