Understanding cookies

What are cookies?

Cookies are tiny files that websites save on your computer, tablet, or phone when you visit them. They help the website remember who you are and what you like, so things work better the next time you visit. Think of cookies like a note the website writes to itself: "This person likes dark mode and speaks English." For a more detailed breakdown, visit our cookies list.

Types of cookies

1. Essential cookies
These are the cookies that help the website work properly. They do things like:

• Keep you logged in
• Remember your choices (like if you're a student or a grown-up)

You can’t turn these off because the website needs them to work.

2. Performance & experience cookies
These cookies help us see how people use the website. For example:

• Which pages are most popular?
• How long do people stay?
• What do they click on?

This helps us make the website better for everyone.

3. Targeting & advertising cookies
These cookies help show you ads that match your interests. For example, if you look at trainers online, you might see trainer ads later. These cookies can also be used by other websites we work with.  These cookies help you share things from our website on places like Instagram or Facebook. They might also change what you see on those apps based on what you looked at here. For our full list of cookies set by trusted third parties, see the “Where do cookies come from?” section below.

How long do cookies stay?

This depends on the type of cookie and its purpose. Broadly speaking, their lifespan falls into two categories:

Session cookies (temporary)
These disappear when you close the website or your browser. They’re usually used for keeping you logged in, or remembering selections you’ve made.

Persistent cookies (longer term)
These cookies remain on your device even after you leave a website and close your browser. These stay on your device for a while—sometimes days, sometimes months—so the website remembers you next time. They’re used for a number of reasons; from helping us and third parties understand how you engage with our website over a certain time period, to enabling more targeted advertising.

Your choices
Essential cookies don’t require your consent. We do, however, need your consent for non-essential cookies (performance and experience cookies, targeting and advertising cookies). You’re asked for this upon your first visit to our website via a pop-up, and again after one year.

We only use cookies that aren’t essential if you say it’s okay. You can change your mind anytime by clicking on the Cookie Settings button on our website. You can also change cookie settings in your browser (like Chrome or Safari), but turning off some cookies might make the website not work as well.

Where do cookies come from?

Our website uses its own cookies – these are set by us and known as first-party cookies. An example being essential cookies that are needed for our website to run properly.

We also have trusted partners who we allow to set their own cookies. These are known as third-party cookies, and are set by other companies or networks, if you consent, to help build a better profile of you in order to tailor your online experience.

This is the list of organisations where cookies originate from:

For a more detailed breakdown, visit our cookies list

Deleting existing cookies

Even if you disable cookies which you’d previously accepted, existing ones will remain on your device. To delete existing cookies you’ll need to clear your browsing data, which can usually be done through the settings menu of whatever web browser you’re using. Although remember, if you delete cookies you may find a less personalised experience on websites you use regularly.