1. Introduction

This policy explains how BSAC (“we”, “us”, or “our”) uses cookies and similar technologies (such as pixels and local storage) on our website, bsac.org.uk

We are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy is designed to help you understand what cookies are, how we use them, and how you can exercise your rights to control them in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

 

2. What are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, provide a better user experience, and supply information to the owners of the site.

  • First-party cookies: Set directly by us.
  • Third-party cookies: Set by external services (e.g., Google Analytics, YouTube, or Vimeo).

 

3. How We Use Cookies

We use cookies to ensure our website functions correctly, to remember your preferences, and to understand how visitors interact with our content.

Under UK law, we can store cookies on your device if they are “strictly necessary” for the operation of the site or fall under specific exemptions for statistics and functionality. For all other types of cookies, we need your informed consent.

 
A. Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for you to browse the website and use its features, such as accessing secure areas or keeping items in a shopping basket. The website cannot function properly without these.

  • Consent required? No.
  • Examples: Session IDs, security authentication, load balancing.
Cookie Name Purpose Duration
PHPSESSID This cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie stores and identifies a user’s unique session ID to manage user sessions on the website. The cookie is a session cookie and will be deleted when all the browser windows are closed. Session
pmpro_visit The cookie is set by PaidMembership Pro plugin. The cookie is used to manage user memberships. Session
__cf_bm This cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management. 1 hour
cookieyes-* CookieYes sets this cookie for consent solution management. 1 year
cookietest The cookietest cookie is typically used to determine whether the user’s browser accepts cookies, essential for website functionality and user experience. Session
_wpfuuid This cookie is used by the WPForms WordPress plugin. The cookie is used to allows the paid version of the plugin to connect entries by the same user and is used for some additional features like the Form Abandonment addon. 1 year 1 month 4 days
rc::a This cookie is set by the Google recaptcha service to identify bots to protect the website against malicious spam attacks. Never Expires
rc::c This cookie is set by the Google recaptcha service to identify bots to protect the website against malicious spam attacks. Session

 
B. Functional Cookies

These cookies allow our website to remember choices you make (such as your language or region) and provide enhanced, more personal features.

Cookie Name
No cookies of this nature

 
C. Statistical & Analytics Cookies

We use these to collect information about how you use our website (e.g., which pages you visit most often). In line with the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, we may set these without consent if they are used solely for website improvement and do not track you across other websites.

  • Consent required? Yes, we still ask for consent to follow higher privacy standards.
  • Examples: Google Analytics (anonymized), internal traffic counters.
Cookie Name Purpose Duration
_ga_* Google Analytics sets this cookie to store and count page views. 1 year 1 month 4 days
_ga Google Analytics sets this cookie to calculate visitor, session and campaign data and track site usage for the site’s analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognise unique visitors. 1 year 1 month 4 days
__hstc Hubspot set this main cookie for tracking visitors. It contains the domain, initial timestamp (first visit), last timestamp (last visit), current timestamp (this visit), and session number (increments for each subsequent session). 6 months
hubspotutk HubSpot sets this cookie to keep track of the visitors to the website. This cookie is passed to HubSpot on form submission and used when deduplicating contacts. 6 months
__hssrc HubSpot cookie sets this cookie to determine if the visitor has restarted their browser. If this cookie does not exist when HubSpot manages cookies, it is considered a new session. Session
__hssc HubSpot sets this cookie to keep track of sessions. This is used to determine if HubSpot should increment the session number and timestamps in the __hstc cookie. It contains the domain, viewCount (which increments with each pageview in a session), and session start timestamp. 1 hour

 
D. Marketing & Targeting Cookies

These cookies track your online activity to help advertisers deliver more relevant advertising or to limit how many times you see an ad. We always require your explicit consent for these.

Cookie Name
No cookies of this nature

 

4. How to Control Cookies

You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject non-essential cookies.

  1. Our Cookie Banner: When you first visit, you can click “Accept All,” “Reject All,” or “Customise”
  2. Website Settings: You can change your preferences at any time by clicking the Link/Icon in the corner of your screen.
  3. Browser Controls: Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies through their settings menu (e.g., Chrome, Safari, Firefox).

 

5. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to other websites (e.g., social media). We do not control the cookies set by these third parties. We recommend you check their respective cookie policies for more information.

 

6. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology or legislation (such as the Data Use and Access Act 2025). We encourage you to check this page periodically.

 

7. Contact Us

If you have any questions about our use of cookies, please contact us at:

 


 
Last updated: June 2026