Legal & Compliance

Cookie Policy

Last reviewed: 9 April 2026  ·  Semington Community Benefit Society Limited  ·  FCA Reg. No. 9716

Plain English summary: This website uses a small number of essential cookies that are required for it to work properly. We do not place advertising cookies or share information with third-party trackers. Google Fonts is loaded from Google's servers, which may set its own cookies subject to Google's own policy.

Section 01

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, tablet or phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and to provide information to the site owner.

Cookies can be classified in several ways:

  • Session cookies — temporary cookies that are deleted when you close your browser
  • Persistent cookies — remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them
  • First-party cookies — set by the website you are visiting
  • Third-party cookies — set by a different domain to the website you are visiting (e.g. analytics or advertising platforms)
Section 02

Legal Framework

The use of cookies in the UK is governed by two pieces of legislation:

  • Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) — the UK's implementation of the EU E-Privacy Directive. PECR requires that users are informed about cookies and give consent before non-essential cookies are set on their device.
  • UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 — where cookies collect personal data (such as browsing patterns linked to an identifiable individual), the requirements of UK GDPR also apply alongside PECR.

The key rule under PECR is:

You must tell people about cookies on your website and obtain their clear and informed consent before setting any cookies that are not strictly necessary for the website to function.

An exception applies to strictly necessary cookies — those that are essential for a service explicitly requested by the user. These do not require consent, but users must still be told about them.

Section 03

Cookie Categories

Cookies are typically grouped into four categories by purpose. Below we explain each category and confirm which we use on this site.

Section 04

Cookies Used on This Site

The following table lists all cookies set directly by this website:

Cookie Name Category Duration Purpose
cookie_consent Strictly Necessary 1 year Stores your cookie consent preference so we do not ask on every visit
Session storage (JS) Strictly Necessary Session only Stores page state for navigation and scroll animations — deleted when the browser tab is closed. Not a cookie; stored in browser memory.

We do not currently use cookies for analytics, advertising, or tracking purposes.

Section 05

Third-Party Cookies

Some features on this website involve content loaded from third-party services. These services may set their own cookies, which are outside of our direct control. We only embed third-party content where reasonably necessary for the site to function.

Third Party Why Used Cookies / Data Their Policy
Google Fonts Typography (Playfair Display, EB Garamond, Inter fonts loaded from fonts.googleapis.com) Google may log the request, including your IP address and browser agent. It does not set persistent tracking cookies for Fonts requests according to Google's documentation. privacy policy
Google Maps The "Get Directions" button links to Google Maps in a new tab — no embedded map iframe is used on this site, so cookies are only set if you click the link and visit Google Maps. Google sets cookies when you visit Google Maps. privacy policy
Crowdfunder Donation links open Crowdfunder in a new tab. We do not embed Crowdfunder iframes. Crowdfunder sets its own cookies when you visit their site. privacy policy

Note on international data transfers: Google services (Fonts, Maps) are operated by Google LLC, based in the USA. Data transfers are subject to Google's standard contractual clauses and other safeguards under UK GDPR adequacy provisions. By using this website, incidental data transfer may occur to Google's servers. You can avoid this by blocking third-party requests in your browser.

Section 06

Consent

Under PECR, we require your consent before setting any cookies that are not strictly necessary. For this website:

  • We set only strictly necessary cookies by default (no consent required for these)
  • We do not currently use analytics, functional or marketing cookies that would require consent
  • If we introduce any such cookies in the future, we will present you with a clear consent banner before setting them, giving you a genuine choice to accept or decline by category

Consent for cookies must be:

  • Freely given — no bundled consent; not a condition of using the service
  • Specific — given per purpose/category, not as a blanket "accept all"
  • Informed — you must know what you're consenting to
  • Unambiguous — a clear affirmative action; pre-ticked boxes do not constitute consent
  • Withdrawable — you can change your mind at any time

Your right to withdraw: If consent-based cookies are introduced in future, you will be able to withdraw or change your cookie preferences at any time via a cookie settings panel (linked from the footer). Withdrawal of consent does not affect any data already processed.

Section 07

Managing & Deleting Cookies

You can control and manage cookies in several ways. Please note that removing or blocking cookies may impact your experience of some websites.

Via your browser settings — all modern browsers allow you to view, delete, and block cookies. Links to instructions for common browsers:

Via third-party opt-out tools:

Blocking third-party cookies: Most browsers allow you to block third-party cookies separately. Enabling this setting will prevent Google Fonts and other third-party services from setting tracking cookies, though some site features may be affected.

Section 08

Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time, particularly if:

  • We introduce new website functionality that uses additional cookies
  • The regulatory guidance on cookies changes (the ICO periodically updates its PECR guidance)
  • Our use of third-party services changes

The review date at the top of this page will be updated whenever changes are made. For material changes, we will notify users via an updated consent notice on the site.

Section 09

Contact

If you have questions about our use of cookies or wish to raise a concern, please contact us:

Semington Community Benefit Society Limited
Email: info@semington-cbs.co.uk
High Street, Semington, Wiltshire, BA14 6JR

If you are not satisfied with our response regarding the use of your data in connection with cookies, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

See our Privacy Policy for full information on how we process your personal data more broadly.