Cookie Policy
Last updated: March 2025. This policy explains the tiny digital files—cookies—that help our website function and support our mission to strengthen rural social infrastructure.
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work—or work more efficiently—and to provide information to the site owners. Think of them as a helpful, albeit forgetful, assistant that remembers your preferences for a short while (like your language setting) so you don't have to keep telling us.
They are not programs, cannot contain viruses, and cannot access other information on your hard drive. We use them to understand how our content about village halls and community ownership is being used—which pages are most visited, for how long, and from where. This data is anonymous and aggregated; we don't use it to identify you personally.
2. How We Use Cookies
Village Community Hubs uses cookies for several essential purposes, all geared towards improving your experience and our service to rural communities. Our usage falls into the following categories:
- Strictly Necessary Cookies: These are crucial for the website to function. They enable core functionalities like page navigation, access to secure areas, and basic site operations. The website cannot operate properly without these cookies. (You can't opt-out of these via our banner, but you can via your browser settings—though the site may break).
- Performance/Analytics Cookies: These help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. They tell us which case studies are most read, which resource pages help the most trustees, and if our site performance is slowing down in certain regions. This allows us to improve our content and site structure.
- Functionality Cookies: These allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your login region, or text size) and provide enhanced, more personal features. They may also be used to provide services you have asked for, like watching a video embedded from YouTube.
- Targeting/Advertising Cookies: We use these sparingly. They are set through our site by our advertising partners (like Google Ads) and may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device.
3. The Specific Cookies We Use
Below is a detailed list of the cookies you might encounter on villagecommunityhubs.com. We aim for transparency—no hidden trackers, just clear utility.
3.1 First-Party Cookies (Set by Us)
- cookieConsent: Stores your preference regarding cookie acceptance. Duration: 1 year. Type: Strictly Necessary.
- sessionID: Maintains your user session for logged-in areas (e.g., resource portals). Duration: Session. Type: Strictly Necessary.
- preferredHubRegion: Remembers your selected county or region to show locally relevant hall listings. Duration: 30 days. Type: Functionality.
3.2 Third-Party Cookies (Set by Services We Use)
We integrate reputable third-party services to enhance functionality. These providers may set their own cookies.
- Google Analytics (_ga, _gid): Used to distinguish users and sessions. Data is anonymized before storage. Duration: _ga (2 years), _gid (24 hours). Type: Performance.
- Google Maps (NID): Set when we display an interactive map of community hub locations. Duration: 6 months. Type: Functionality.
- YouTube (VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE, YSC): Set on pages containing embedded videos from our channel (e.g., hall renovation tutorials). Duration: Varies. Type: Functionality/Targeting.
- Meta Pixel (_fbp): Used to measure the effectiveness of our social media campaigns in reaching parish councils and community groups. Duration: 3 months. Type: Targeting.
4. Your Consent & Control
When you first visit our site, you will see a cookie consent banner. By clicking "Accept", you consent to our use of all cookies as described here. You can withdraw or modify your consent at any time—how?
Browser Settings
You can set your browser to refuse all or some cookies, or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. The "Help" function within your browser (usually found in the settings menu) provides detailed instructions. Be aware that disabling cookies will affect the functionality of this and many other websites. For example, you may not be able to log into resource areas or save local preferences.
Our Consent Tool
You can revisit your choices by clicking the small cookie icon (usually in the bottom-left corner of the page) that appears after you make your initial selection. This will reopen the preference centre where you can toggle categories on or off (except for Strictly Necessary cookies).
5. Legal Basis & Data Protection
Our use of cookies is based on your consent (for non-essential cookies) and on our legitimate interests (for essential and performance cookies necessary to provide our service). We process any personal data collected via cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018.
The data controller is Village Community Hubs (Company Registration: 14920100). If you have questions about our use of cookies or your data rights—access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection, or portability—please contact our Data Protection Lead using the details in Section 7.
6. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legislation, or our services. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically—staying informed is a cornerstone of community ownership, after all.
Questions About Your Digital Footprint?
We believe in clear, jargon-free communication. If anything in this policy is unclear, or if you wish to exercise your data rights, please get in touch.
7. Contact Details
For any queries related to this Cookie Policy or data protection:
Data Controller: Village Community Hubs
Address: St Alban The Martyr Church, Gander Green Lane, Sutton, England, SM1 2EZ
Phone: +44 117 435 06 26
Email: contact@villagecommunityhubs.com
Company Registration: 14920100 (Founded 2015)
