1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, tablet or phone) when you visit a website. They allow the site to recognise your device and remember information about your visit, such as your preferences and settings.
First-party cookies are set by the website you are visiting, while third-party cookies are set by other domains — usually for analytics or advertising purposes. Session cookies expire as soon as you close your browser, whereas persistent cookies remain on your device for a set period of time, or until you delete them.
2. How We Use Cookies
We use cookies to:
- Ensure our website functions correctly.
- Remember your cookie consent preference so we don't keep asking.
- Understand how visitors use our site, through analytics.
- Support marketing activities, where you have given consent.
We do not use cookies to collect personal data without your consent, and we do not sell cookie-derived data to anyone.
3. Cookie Categories
Always On
Strictly Necessary
Essential for the website to function correctly. No consent is required under PECR. These cookies do not store personally identifiable information.
Consent Required
Analytics & Performance
Count visits and analyse how people move through the site. All data is anonymised and aggregated, and these cookies are only placed once you've consented via our cookie banner.
Consent Required
Marketing & Targeting
Set by advertising partners to build an interest profile and show you relevant ads on other sites. Only placed with explicit consent — declining means ads will still appear, but be less relevant.
4. Cookies We Use
The following cookies are used on our website:
| Cookie Name | Set By | Category | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cookieConsent | Forte Web Solutions Ltd | Strictly Necessary | Stores your cookie consent preference to avoid repeated prompts. | 12 months |
| _ga | Google Analytics | Analytics | Distinguishes unique users via a randomly generated client ID. IP anonymisation is enabled. | 2 years |
| _ga_[ID] | Google Analytics | Analytics | Persists session state across page requests. | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics | Analytics | Distinguishes users; stores and updates a unique value for each page visited. | 24 hours |
| Marketing / retargeting cookies | Third parties (e.g. Google Ads, Meta) | Marketing | Deliver interest-based ads and measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns. | Up to 90 days |
This table is accurate as of the last updated date above and will be updated if our cookie use changes.
5. Third-Party Cookies
Google Analytics. We use Google Analytics to understand how our site is used. IP addresses are anonymised and we do not pass any personally identifiable information to Google via Analytics. You can opt out at any time using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. For more information, see Google's Privacy Policy.
Embedded Content. Pages on our site may include embedded content (such as videos or social media buttons) which can set their own cookies when you interact with them. We do not control these cookies — please refer to the relevant third party's privacy policy for details.
6. Your Cookie Choices and Consent
When you first visit our website, a cookie consent banner appears offering you the option to accept or decline non-essential cookies. You can change your preferences at any time using the "Cookie Settings" link in the site footer.
Declining non-essential cookies will not affect the functionality of the website. Withdrawing your consent does not affect any processing that has already taken place before you withdrew it.
7. Managing Cookies in Your Browser
Most browsers let you view, delete and block cookies. Here's where to find these options in the most common browsers:
- Google Chrome — Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
- Mozilla Firefox — Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
- Apple Safari — Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
- Microsoft Edge — Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies
For mobile devices, please refer to your device settings. For independent guidance, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.
8. Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised "last updated" date. Significant changes may also trigger a fresh cookie consent prompt the next time you visit.
9. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy, please get in touch using the details below.
For concerns about personal data more broadly, please see our Privacy Policy. If you are unhappy with our response, you may contact the ICO at ico.org.uk.