Cookie Policy

What are cookies?

Cookies are small data files that websites place on your computer, laptop, or mobile device. We use the term cookie to describe cookies and similar technologies such as tags and pixels.

How we use cookies

We use cookies to:

  • improve the performance of our website by understanding which parts work well, and which don’t
  • measure how effective our online advertising and marketing communications are
  • enable us to collect information about how you and other people use our websites
  • improve your experience on our websites, for example by enabling you to complete forms.

What types of cookies do we use?

Strictly necessary cookies: These are cookies that are required for the operation of our website. They are necessary for the safety, security, and integrity of the site. For example, they help support the structure of the pages that are displayed to you, help to improve navigation, and allow you to return to pages you have previously visited. This type of cookie only lasts for the duration of the time you are visiting the website. When you leave the website, they are deleted automatically.

Performance cookies or analytical cookies: These allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily. The data is grouped together and anonymised, which means we cannot identify you as an individual. Some of the performance cookies we use include (but are not limited to) Google Analytics.

Functionality cookies: These recognise you when you return to our website. They enable us to remember your preferences (for example, your choice of region). These cookies will remain on your device until you choose to clear them. If you choose to do this, you will need to enter your details each time you visit the site.

Flash cookies: Adobe uses a particular type of cookie called a Local Shared Object (LSO), which is typically collected if, for example, you watch a video that uses the Adobe Flash media player, i.e., an embedded YouTube video on a page that is being played via Flash. Please note that these types of cookies are not used on iPads, which do not support Flash. More information is available on Adobe’s website on how to control theses cookies.

Web beacons: Web beacons are small single pixel transparent image files. They allow website owners to know when a visitor has reached their website, and are used in conjunction with cookies to allow further website tracking to be monitored. Again, these files are not viruses, but are useful in helping us to make your web surfing experience better.

Media Cookies: These cookies can be used to improve a website’s performance and provide special features and content. They can be placed by third parties who provide services to us or by our company.

Advertising or Targeting Cookies: These cookies are usually placed and used by advertising companies to develop a profile of your browsing interests and serve advertisements on other websites that are related to your interests. You will see less advertising if you disable these cookies.

Session Cookies: These cookies allow websites to link the actions of a user during a browser session. They may be used for a variety of purposes, such as remembering what a user has put in their shopping cart as they browse a website. Session cookies also permit users to be recognized as they navigate a website so that any item or page changes they make are remembered from page to page. Session cookies expire after a browser session; thus, they are not stored long term.

Persistent Cookies: These cookies are stored on a user’s device in between browser sessions, which allows the user’s preferences or actions across a site (or, in some cases, across different sites) to be remembered. Persistent cookies may be used for a variety of purposes, including remembering users’ choices and preferences when using a website or to target advertising to them.

We may also use cookies for:

  • Identifying the areas of our website that you have visited
  • Personalizing content that you see on our website
  • Our website analytics
  • Remarketing our products or services to you
  • Remembering your preferences, settings, and login details
  • Targeted advertising and serving ads relevant to your interests
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Allowing you to post comments
  • Allowing you to share content with social networks

Most web browsers can be set to disable the use of cookies. However, if you disable cookies, you may not be able to access features on our website correctly or at all.

Cookies we use

  • _ga: This cookie is used to distinguish unique users visiting the website. It stores a randomly generated ID that is assigned to a user the first time they visit the site. This ID helps GA4 track users across different sessions and understand their behaviour over time.
  • _gid: Similar to the “_ga” cookie, “_gid” is used to distinguish users, but it stores a different unique ID. It is often set when you visit a website and is updated every time you visit a different page on that site during the same session.
  • _gat: This cookie is used to control the rate at which data is sent to Google Analytics servers. It helps prevent excessive data collection from high-traffic websites. It’s not always present, and its purpose is to ensure efficient data transfer.
  • _gac: The “_gac” cookie is used to store campaign-related information. It tracks how you arrived at the website, such as through a specific advertisement or marketing campaign. It helps website owners understand the effectiveness of their marketing efforts.
  • ga<container-id>: If the website uses GA4 in conjunction with Google Tag Manager, this cookie is used to store information about the Google Analytics configuration. The “<container-id>” part is replaced with a unique identifier for the specific Google Tag Manager container being used.

More about Google Analytics

Google Analytics uses first cookies to help the website analyse how users use the site. Nacro.org.uk no longer uses Google Universal Analytics and has installed Google Analytics 4 as part of our ongoing work in protecting your privacy.

Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) uses first-party cookies.

GA4 is a new property which:

  • collects both website and app data to better understand the customer journey
  • uses event-based data instead of session-based
  • includes privacy controls such as cookieless measurement, and behavioural and conversion modelling
  • predictive capabilities offer guidance without complex models
  • integrates to media platforms help drive actions on Nacro.org.uk.

You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however, please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites, visit http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.