Details about cookies on Charity Commission platforms

The Charity Commission uses ‘cookies’ to collect information about how you use our services. Find out more about the cookies we use, what they’re for and when they expire.

There are two types of cookies:

  • session cookies, these are deleted when you close your browser

  • persistent cookies, these last longer and expire after a certain amount of time

Cookies that measure website use

We use Google Analytics software (Universal Analytics) to collect anonymised information about how you use the Charity Commission Register of Charities and digital services. We do this to help make sure our services and website meet the needs of its users and to help us make improvements.

We do not allow Google to use or share the data about how you use our services.

Google Analytics collects information about:

  • the pages you visit

  • how long you spend on each page

  • how you got to the service

  • what you click on while you’re visiting the site and/or using the service

  • what links you open in emails from us

The data we collect on user behaviour is used by us to improve our services. For example, so that they are intuitive, accessible and fulfil their function. We retain the data for up to 2 years for this purpose. This period runs from the last point at which the webpage was accessed. No data from cookies which could identify you, such as IP addresses, are collected by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Google Analytics sets the following cookies.

Name Purpose Expires

_gid

 Google Analytics cookie used to distinguish users in browsing activity

24 hours

_ga

 Google Analytics cookie used to distinguish users in browsing activity

2 years

_gat

 Google Analytics cookie used to limit the percentage of requests

1 minute

_gat_UA

 Google Analytics cookie used to limit the percentage of requests

1 minute

 

In addition, if you share a link to a page on our services, the service you share it on (for example, Facebook) may set a cookie. We have no control over cookies set on other websites - you can turn them off, but not through us.

 

Cookies that remember your settings

These cookies do things like remember your preferences and the choices you make, to personalise your experience of using the Charity Commission website.

Strictly necessary cookies

Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility.

Name Purpose Expires

GUEST_LANGUAGE_ID

 This sets the language you are viewing the website in (English or Welsh)

1 year

LFR_SESSION_STATE_20105

 User session cookie, where XXXXX is the user ID

When you close your browser

JSESSIONID

 Used to maintain an anonymous user session by the server.

When you close your browser

ApplicationGatewayAffinity

 Used for maintaining user sessions. This cookie is set by this website as it runs on the Windows Azure cloud platform. It enables web browser traffic to be kept assigned to single server during certain sections of website.

When you close your browser

ApplicationGatewayAffinityCORS

 This cookie is used by the Windows Azure Application Gateway in addition to ApplicationGatewayAffinity to maintain sticky session even on cross-origin requests (information received from a resource with a different domain name).

When you close your browser

 

Cookies message

You may see a banner when you visit the Register of Charities and Digital Services inviting you to accept cookies or review your settings. We’ll set cookies so that your computer knows you’ve seen it and not to show it again, and also to store your settings.

Name Purpose Expires

COOKIE_SUPPORT

This stores the preferences you select during web browsing

1 year

cookie_consent

This saves your cookie consent settings

1 year

 

Cookies collected by Government Digital Services

The GOV.UK website, which is run by Government Digital Services (GDS), hosts all Charity Commission content and guidance and also uses Google Analytics software. You can find further information on the data collected by GDS in their cookies policy.

Find out more about privacy information from Google Analytics.

Find out more from the Information Commissioner’s Office about how to manage cookies.

 

Change your settings

You can change which cookies you’re happy for us to use.