Effective 4th November 2024

At Voluntiera, we are committed to ensuring your privacy and providing transparency about how we use cookies and other storage technologies on our website. This Cookie Policy explains what cookies and local storage are, how we use them, and your choices regarding their use, in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. What Are Cookies and Local Storage?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device when you visit our website. They allow us to recognise your device and remember certain information about your preferences or past actions on the site.

Local Storage is a web storage technology that allows websites to store data in your browser with no expiration date. Unlike cookies, local storage data is not sent to the server with each request but remains in your browser until explicitly cleared.

Both technologies help us improve our website's functionality and enhance your user experience.

2. Types of Storage Technologies We Use

We use the following types of storage technologies on our website:

• Strictly Necessary Cookies: These cookies are essential for the website to function correctly. They enable basic functionalities such as page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. Without these cookies, some parts of the website may not function.
• Performance and Analytics Cookies: These cookies allow us to analyse how visitors use our website, helping us improve our content, navigation, and user experience. Data collected by these cookies is aggregated and anonymous.
• Functionality Cookies and Local Storage: These technologies remember your choices and preferences, such as language settings or region, to provide a more personalised experience. We specifically use local storage to remember your preferences for site notifications and announcements, helping us deliver a better user experience.
• Targeting or Advertising Cookies: We may use cookies to deliver content that is more relevant to you and your interests, helping us measure the effectiveness of our campaigns. These cookies may track your browsing habits across other websites to better understand your preferences.

3. How We Use These Technologies

We use cookies and local storage to:

• Enhance website functionality and improve your user experience.
• Analyse site traffic and track usage patterns to improve site performance.
• Remember your choices and personalise your experience on our website.
• Manage notification preferences, such as remembering when you've dismissed our announcement banner.
• Deliver relevant content and measure the effectiveness of our campaigns.

4. Specific Use of Local Storage

We use local storage for functional purposes, including:

• Announcement Banner Preferences: We store a timestamp when you close our announcement banner so we don't show it again for 24 hours, providing a better browsing experience.
• User Preferences: We may store certain interface preferences to enhance your experience on return visits.

This local storage data remains on your device and is not shared with our servers or third parties.

5. Third-Party Cookies

We may allow certain trusted third parties to place cookies on our website to help us understand user behaviour, improve our website's functionality, and deliver relevant content. These third parties include analytics providers like Google Analytics. Please refer to their privacy policies for more information on how they use cookies.

6. Your Choices

When you first visit our website, you'll see a cookie banner asking for your consent to use certain types of cookies and local storage technologies. You can manage your choices at any time by adjusting your browser settings to accept or decline cookies.

To clear local storage data, you can use your browser's privacy or history settings to clear browsing data. However, please note that disabling these technologies may affect the functionality of our website.

For more information on managing cookies, you can visit www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.

7. Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. Any changes will be posted on this page, so please review it periodically.

8. Contact Us

If you have questions about our use of cookies, local storage, or this Cookie Policy, please contact us at:

• Email: hello@voluntiera.co.uk

By continuing to use our website, you agree to our use of cookies and local storage as described in this Cookie Policy.