Cookies Policy

1. Introduction

This Cookies Policy explains what cookies are, how 5 STONE BUILDINGS SEMINARS LTD ("we," "us," or "our") uses them on the website associated with our educational webinar series "Cats and Mental Health: Purring as Natural Therapy," and what choices you have regarding their use. We are committed to being transparent about the technologies we employ and the data we collect through them.

By visiting our website, you will see a cookie consent banner that allows you to accept, adjust settings for, or decline non-essential cookies. Your choice is stored locally in your browser so that you are not asked again on subsequent visits unless you clear your browser data. We respect your right to control your own browsing experience and have designed our cookie implementation to be as minimal and non-intrusive as possible, in keeping with the educational and non-commercial nature of this project.

Our registered address is Medway House, East Grinstead, RH19 3BJ, United Kingdom. If you have questions about this policy, you can reach us at [email protected].

2. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, tablet, or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used across the internet to make websites function properly, to improve the user experience, and to provide website operators with information about how visitors interact with their pages. Cookies can be "persistent" (remaining on your device until they expire or you delete them) or "session" cookies (deleted when you close your browser).

Cookies can be set by the website you are visiting ("first-party cookies") or by other websites whose content appears on the page you are viewing ("third-party cookies"). First-party cookies are generally used for core website functionality, while third-party cookies are typically associated with analytics or social media features. On our website, we primarily rely on first-party cookies and use a limited number of third-party cookies strictly for analytics purposes.

In addition to cookies, similar technologies such as local storage and session storage may be used. Local storage is used on our site to remember your cookie consent preference. It functions similarly to a persistent cookie but is managed directly by the browser and does not expire automatically.

3. Types of Cookies We Use

Our website uses only two categories of cookies: essential (technical) cookies and analytics cookies. We do not use advertising cookies, retargeting cookies, or any cookies intended to build a profile of your interests for marketing purposes. Below is a detailed explanation of each category.

4. Cookie Consent Banner

When you visit our website for the first time, a cookie consent banner appears in the bottom-right corner of the screen. This banner provides three options: Accept, Settings, and Decline. The banner does not block your access to any content on the website and is designed to be non-intrusive while still meeting regulatory requirements.

Your consent preference is stored in your browser's local storage under the key "cookie_consent." This means it persists across browsing sessions on the same device and browser. If you wish to change your preference at any time, you can clear your browser's local storage or site data for our domain, which will cause the consent banner to appear again on your next visit.

5. How to Manage and Delete Cookies

Beyond the consent banner on our website, you can control cookies through your browser settings. All major web browsers allow you to view, manage, and delete cookies. The exact steps vary depending on which browser you use, but generally you can find cookie settings under the privacy or security section of your browser's settings or preferences menu.

Below are links to cookie management instructions for the most commonly used browsers. These links direct you to the official support pages provided by each browser vendor:

Please be aware that disabling or deleting certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website. For example, if you delete the local storage entry that records your cookie consent preference, the consent banner will reappear on your next visit. Essential cookies, if blocked entirely, may prevent form submissions or other core features from working properly.

You can also opt out of Google Analytics tracking across all websites by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, which is available for all major browsers. This tool prevents Google Analytics JavaScript from sharing information about your visit activity with Google Analytics.

6. Legal Basis for Using Cookies

Our use of cookies is governed by the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) 2003. Under these regulations, essential cookies that are strictly necessary for the operation of the website do not require user consent. Analytics cookies, however, require your explicit consent before they can be placed on your device.

For essential cookies, the legal basis is "legitimate interest" under Article 6(1)(f) of the UK GDPR, as these cookies are necessary for the website to function as intended. For analytics cookies, the legal basis is "consent" under Article 6(1)(a) of the UK GDPR, which you provide through the cookie consent banner. You may withdraw your consent at any time by clearing your cookie preferences as described in Section 5 above.

We regularly review our cookie usage to ensure ongoing compliance with applicable regulations and to verify that no unnecessary data is being collected. If changes to our cookie practices become necessary, this policy will be updated accordingly, and the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page will reflect the revision date.

7. Data Collected Through Cookies

The data collected through cookies on our website is limited and does not include any personally identifiable information. Essential cookies collect only technical data required for the site to function, such as session identifiers and consent preferences. Analytics cookies collect the following types of anonymized data:

• Pages visited and the order in which they were accessed
• Time spent on each page and on the website overall
• Referring website or source through which you arrived at our site
• General geographic location (country or city level, not precise address)
• Browser type, device type, operating system, and screen resolution
• Anonymized (truncated) IP address

This data is processed in aggregate form and is used exclusively to understand visitor behavior patterns so that we can improve the structure, content, and accessibility of our educational materials. We do not attempt to re-identify individuals from this anonymized data, and we do not combine analytics data with personal information collected through our registration or contact forms.

8. Data Retention for Cookie Data

Cookie-related data is retained for the following periods:

Analytics data processed through Google Analytics is automatically deleted after 14 months in accordance with our data retention settings. We do not extend data retention beyond what is necessary for understanding website usage patterns over a reasonable time period.

9. Third-Party Cookies

The only third-party cookies that may be set on our website are those associated with Google Analytics, which is provided by Google LLC. Google processes analytics data under its own privacy policy and terms of service. Google Analytics cookies are set only when you have provided your consent through our cookie banner by clicking "Accept."

When Google Analytics is active on our website, we have configured it with the following privacy-protective settings: IP anonymization is enabled, so your full IP address is never stored by Google; data sharing with other Google products is disabled; and remarketing and advertising features are turned off entirely. We have also entered into a data processing agreement with Google as required under applicable data protection regulations.

We do not use any other third-party services that place cookies on your device, including but not limited to social media plugins, embedded videos with tracking, live chat widgets, or advertising networks.

10. International Data Transfers

Google Analytics data may be processed on servers located outside the United Kingdom, including in the United States. Where such transfers occur, they are protected by Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) as approved by the UK Information Commissioner's Office, as well as any supplementary measures required to ensure an equivalent level of data protection. Google has committed to complying with these safeguards in its data processing agreement with website operators.

Essential cookies and local storage data are processed entirely within your browser and are not transferred to any external server.

11. Your Rights Regarding Cookie Data

Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to any personal data that may be processed through cookies on our website:

• Right of access: You may request confirmation of whether we process your data and obtain a copy of that data.
• Right to erasure: You may request the deletion of your data, which you can also accomplish yourself by clearing your browser cookies and local storage.
• Right to restrict processing: You may request that we limit how your data is processed.
• Right to withdraw consent: You may withdraw your cookie consent at any time by clearing your browser data and declining cookies on your next visit.
• Right to lodge a complaint: You have the right to file a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe your data rights have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

12. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data, whether through cookies or any other means, from individuals under 16 years of age. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has interacted with our website in a way that resulted in data collection, please contact us at [email protected], and we will take immediate steps to delete any such data.

13. Changes to This Cookies Policy

We may update this Cookies Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the cookies we use, or applicable regulations. When we make changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. If changes are significant, we will reset the cookie consent preferences for all users so that the consent banner reappears, giving everyone the opportunity to review the new terms and make an informed choice.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies and related technologies. Continued use of the website after changes have been published constitutes acknowledgment of the updated policy, though consent for analytics cookies will always be obtained separately through the consent banner.

14. Relationship to Other Policies

This Cookies Policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which provides comprehensive information about how we collect, use, store, and protect personal data submitted through forms on our website, and our Terms of Use, which govern your use of the website and its content.

Together, these three documents form the complete legal framework for your interaction with our website. In the event of any conflict between this Cookies Policy and the Privacy Policy regarding cookie-related data processing, this Cookies Policy shall take precedence.

15. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookies Policy or our use of cookies, please do not hesitate to contact us: