Cookies

Understanding how and why we use cookies

What are cookies?

A cookie is a small text file that is stored on your computer or device when you visit a website. Cookies are used by all websites, and have several different functions. At a basic level cookies will:

• Allow the site to work properly, and help keep it secure.
• Help us understand how people use the website.
• Make the site easier to use by remembering information that you've entered,
• Improve your experience by showing you information that's relevant to you.

The cookies we use let our websites do the following:

• Remember information you've entered to save you entering it again ie. Username and Password
• Allow you to comment on forums and blogs
• Allow you to share pages with social networks
• Make sure your Account session is secure

• Store your information for advertising
• Give any information to third party sources

The types of cookies we use

These are divided into four categories:

1. Necessary cookies These cookies are strictly necessary in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features. Without these cookies, we will not be able to determine the number of unique users of the site or provide certain features.

2. Performance cookies These simply help us improve the way our website works. They tell us how people use each page, which ones are most commonly viewed, or whether any errors occurred.

3. Customisation cookies These cookies store your personal settings such as font sizes, volume level, or remember basic information that you've entered, so next time you visit our website it's all there for you. For example, if you choose to ask us to remember your User Name, you won't have to enter it the next time you need it.

Consent

By using our website, you're consenting to our use of cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time through your browser.

Changing your cookie settings:

We recommend that you don't change your cookie settings, as we can't guarantee the performance of the site if you block some or all cookies.

If you do decide to change them, you can do this through your browser. Each browser works in a different way, so you'll need to search for 'cookie settings' in your browser's help section to find out how to do this.