What is a Cookie?
A cookie is a small text file that stores Internet settings. The cookie is downloaded by your Internet browser the first time you visit a website.
Some cookies are extremely useful because they can improve your user experience when you return to a website you have already visited. This assumes that you are using the same device and the same browser as before; if so, cookies will remember your preferences, will know how you use the website, and will adapt the content you are shown so that it is more relevant to your personal interests and needs.
Types of Cookies
There are four categories of cookie: strictly necessary cookies, performance cookies, functional cookies and marketing cookies.
- Strictly necessary cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features. Without these cookies, some services cannot be provided – for example, remembering previous actions when navigating back to a page in the same session.
- Performance cookies gather information about how a website is used – for example, which pages a visitor frequently visits. These cookies do not save personal information or information that would allow the user to be identified. These cookies are used exclusively to improve the performance of the website, and with it the user experience.
- Functional cookies enable a website to save information which has already been entered (such as user names, language choices, and your location), so that it can offer you improved and more personalised functions. These cookies collect anonymous information and cannot track your movements on other websites.
- Marketing cookies are used to deliver adverts and other communications more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement and to help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.
Managing the use of Cookie settings on this website
While you can completely disable some cookies in your browser at any time, it is important to note that if you change your settings and block certain cookies, you will not be able to take full advantage of some features of our site.
Cookies that are essential, also known as ‘strictly necessary’ cookies, enable features without which you would not be able to use the website as intended. These Cookies are only saved on your computer while you are actually browsing the website and for the duration of the session. Strictly necessary cookies cannot be disabled.