Cookie Policy
Last updated: July 2026
1. What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help websites function properly, remember preferences, improve user experience, and provide information about how visitors use a website.
This Cookie Policy explains how Community Smart Hub uses cookies and similar technologies on our website at https://communitysmarthub.org.uk.
2. How we use cookies
Community Smart Hub uses cookies and similar technologies to ensure the website works properly, keep it secure, remember choices you make, support forms and newsletter sign-ups, understand how visitors use our website, improve performance, and make our content and services more useful.
Where required by law, we will ask for your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device.
3. Types of cookies we may use
Essential cookies are necessary for the website to operate. They support core functions such as security, accessibility, page navigation, form submissions, and basic website functionality. These cookies cannot usually be switched off through our website because the website may not work properly without them.
Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors use our website, including which pages are visited, how long visitors stay, and how people move around the site. This helps us improve our content, services, accessibility, and user experience.
Functional cookies remember choices you make, such as preferences, settings, or form options, so that the website can provide a more consistent and useful experience.
Third-party cookies may be placed by external services that appear on or support our website, such as donation platforms, embedded videos, maps, analytics tools, newsletter providers, social media integrations, or website plugins.
4. Third-party services
We may use trusted third-party providers whose services may place cookies or similar technologies on your device. These may include analytics providers, email marketing providers, donation platforms, embedded video services, social media platforms, website hosting providers, and website plugins.
Third-party providers are responsible for their own privacy and cookie practices. We recommend reviewing their policies if you interact with embedded content, donation tools, videos, social media features, or other third-party services on our website.
5. Cookie consent
When you first visit our website, you may be asked to choose which cookies you accept. Essential cookies are necessary for the website to operate and cannot usually be switched off through our website.
Non-essential cookies, such as analytics, functional, marketing, or third-party cookies, will only be used where you have given consent, where consent is required by law. You can change or withdraw your cookie preferences at any time where a cookie settings tool is available.
6. Managing cookies
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through browser settings. You can choose to accept, reject, block, or delete cookies. You may also be able to block third-party cookies or clear cookies when you close your browser.
Please note that disabling or blocking some cookies may affect how the website works, including forms, preferences, embedded content, analytics, accessibility features, and some third-party services.
7. Cookies and personal information
Some cookies may collect or relate to personal information, such as device information, IP address, online identifiers, pages visited, or interactions with our website. Where cookies involve personal information, we handle that information in line with our Privacy Policy.
8. Your right to complain
If you have concerns about how we use cookies or similar technologies, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority responsible for data protection and privacy rights.
You can contact the ICO through its website at https://ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.
9. Changes to this Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, law, guidance, or our services. Any updates will be published on this page, and the “Last updated” date will be amended where appropriate.
10. Contact us
If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies, please contact us at hello@communitysmarthub.org.uk.