A cookie is a piece of data about a website that is stored in your web browser. Cookies are often used to store choices about how you use a website and allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. Cookies are downloaded to your computer or web browsing device when you visit a website. Cookies are then sent back to the originating website on each subsequent visit, or to another website that recognises that cookie.

Cookies are useful because they allow a website to recognise a user’s device. In turn, this can help the website owner to provide a better service to website users.

More information on cookies

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Cookies on the BOU website

The cookies used on this website have been categorised based on the categories found in the ICC UK Cookie guide (PDF). A list of the types of cookies used on this website by category is set out below.

Category 1: Strictly necessary cookies

These cookies are essential but only used in order to enable some users to access restricted areas of the website – they indicate to the system that the user is ‘logged in’ and may access restricted content. We use these to provide the resources that support our volunteer Regional Representatives, for instance.

Category 2: Performance cookies

These cookies collect information about how visitors use a website, such as which pages visitors go to most often, and if they get error messages from web pages. These cookies don’t collect information that identifies a visitor. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. It is only used to improve how this website works. By using our website, you agree that we may place these types of cookies on your device.

Category 3: Functionality cookies

Only effecting users that have registered to participate in particular parts of the website (e.g. commenting on blog posts), these cookies allow the website to remember choices you make and provide enhanced, more personal features when using our webite. The information these cookies collect is only used for the purpose of providing these features and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites. These parts of our site are obvious as they ask you to input your own personal data. By choosing to provide us with your personal data you agree that we may place these types of cookies on your device

Category 4: Cookies not in use by BOU

The BOU do not make use of cookies referred to as ‘Category 4’ in the ICC UK Cookie guide. These may be described as ‘targeting cookies’ or ‘advertising cookies’ – generally used by a third party (usually an advertising network). They may be used to register when adverts have been shown to a user, or monitor when a user clicks on advertising – providing a picture of a unique user’s browsing habits. These are services the BOU do not implement.