How do we use cookies?

St Michael’s Hospice uses cookies to give you a more personalised web service.  To see how we use cookies, what they are, and which ones we use please go to our ‘How we use cookies’ page.  This page also includes instructions on how to disable cookies if you don’t want them to be used.

What is a cookie?
A cookie is a simple text file of letters and numbers that is stored on to your computer or mobile device by a website’s server when you access certain websites. Only that server will be able to retrieve or read the contents of that cookie.

Each cookie is unique to your web browser. It will contain some anonymous information such as a unique identifier and the site name and some digits and numbers

What does a cookie do?
A cookie is like a door key – cookies unlock a computer’s memory and allow websites to recognise users when they return to that particular site.

Most websites you visit will use cookies in order to improve your user experience by enabling that website to ‘remember’ you. Cookies may be set by the website you are visiting or they may be set by other websites who run content on the page you are viewing.

Cookies do many different jobs, like letting you navigate between pages efficiently, storing your preferences and generally improving your experience of a website. Cookies make the interaction between you and the website faster and easier.

Cookies have limited functionality and cannot browse or scan your computer or dig for information. Users always have the option of accepting or denying cookies.

How does St Michael’s use cookies?
Information received via web cookies is used to enhance your experience of our site and microsites, ascertain whether the website is functioning correctly and for logged-in members to ensure access to entitled resources.

Analytical cookies
The cookies we use are predominantly ‘analytical’ cookies. They allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our web site when they’re using it.  This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example by making sure users are finding what they need easily.

This website uses Google Analytics* cookies.  Unless you have adjusted your browser setting to refuse cookies, our website will deliver the cookie as soon as you visit the website.

Google Analytics is collected via a JavaScript tag in the pages of our site.  Google Analytics uses a Persistent Cookies (remains on your computer unless it expires or your cookie cache is cleared) and some session cookies (used to calculate visit information such as visit length and where a visitor arrived from).

We have enabled Google Analytics Demographics and Interest Reporting so we better understand our demographics and our website users’ interests.

More information on Google Analytics can be found on Google’s support website https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245

Functional cookies
St Michael’s Hospice uses cookies for the checkout process when making a purchase in our shop, registering for an event or donation.

We also use cookies to remember login details and information you supply, for example for registering for an event or making a donation.

What to do if you don’t want cookies to be set
Some people find the idea of a website storing information on their computer or mobile device a bit intrusive, particularly when this information is stored and used by a third party without them knowing.

The cookies St Michael’s Hospice use are harmless and we do not use them for advertising that has been targeted to your interests.

However, if you prefer, it is possible to block some or all cookies, or even to delete cookies that have already been set; but you need to be aware that you might lose some functions of the St Michael’s Hospice website.

You can control which types of cookies you allow by turning cookies on or off in your web browser’s settings. You can also delete cookies by clearing your browser’s cookie cache (history).

To find out how to turn cookies on and off in your browser, click on the relevant browser link below.

If you have any questions or concerns about the cookies we use, please email: info@st-michaels-hospice.org.uk.