RHS Cookies Policy for EU residents

Cookies and similar technologies are small unique text files that are placed on your computer by websites that you visit, which can be stored on your device.

We use Cookies and similar technologies that only remain on your device for as long as you keep your browser active (session) and Cookies and similar technologies that remain on your device for a longer period (persistent). Cookies are placed by us when you visit our website, or by third parties.

Some of the Cookies we use on our website collect, use and store some personal data. This may include your IP address, unique identifier, device information, geo-location, and browsing behaviour.

Cookies on our website

Why we use cookies

If you are an EU resident visiting our website, we use the following Cookies and similar technologies:
 
To make our website work - These Cookies are called ‘Strictly Necessary Cookies’. These Cookies are required to make our website work and function properly. These Cookies helps us with things such as, taking payments, providing security, verifying your login account details, remembering your shopping basket while you shop on our website and enabling you to complete forms. ‘Strictly Necessary Cookies’ cannot be turned off as they protect your data and ensures our website works properly. These Cookies do not contain any of your personal data.

For Performance - To help us see the number of visitors visiting our website, which geo location our visitors are from and to see how our visitors interact with our website. This helps us to improve the way our website is used and works and to analyse which audiences we are reaching. You can Opt-Out or disable the use of our ‘Performance’ Cookies by going to the ‘Settings’ in your browser, installed application, or device settings.
We do not use any Advertising or Marketing Cookies and similar technologies when you visit our website.

Third party cookies
Some third party cookies are placed by service providers to the RHS on our behalf to assist us with site operations, services, applications and tools. For example, we use Google Analytics which gathers data on which pages you visit on our website, how long you spend on each webpage and which country you are visiting from (geo-location).  This data helps us to better understand how our visitors interact with our website and helps us to make improvements.
Other similar technologies
We use other similar technologies to cookies like pixel tags, web beacons, clear GIFs, JavaScript, and local storage. These work in similar ways to cookies but can operate across all of your browsers, and in some instances may require management through your installed applications or device.

A web beacon is a tiny, invisible image placed within an email message that tells us whether you have opened an email, how often you have opened it, how you interacted with the email (such as the time you spent reading the email), which email software and web browser you used, whether you clicked on the hyperlinks to our website, which device you used and your IP address. We use web beacons in our marketing emails that you subscribe to receive. Web beacons helps us to understand how you interact with our emails and are used to improve our future email communications.

Web server logs

We collect web server logs relating to our website. These identify the IP addresses of visitors to our site, but not necessarily specific computers or users. They also record the time of day, the pages requested from the site and any website links followed to our site (referrer information).

We use this information to give statistics on the number of visitors to the site, the most popular pages and other similar information. We are not able to tie any of this information to specific individuals.

Your permission

When you visit our website for the first time we clearly tell you through our Cookies banner the purposes we use Cookies and Similar Technologies for and we ask for your Consent to use Cookies that are not ‘Strictly Necessary’ for the reasons described above. At this point you can choose to either:

  • ‘Accept’ the Cookies
  • Disable Cookies on your device, browser or software application by going into you browser or device ‘Settings’; or
  • Decide not to use our website
However, if you Opt-Out of or disable some cookies, it may affect your browsing experience on our website or you may not be able to take advantage of certain site features, services, applications, or tools because to make them work they need the cookie or technology.

You are in control

You can block, delete, or disable the Performance cookies by going to your browser or device settings or visiting About Cookies. You may also disable or Opt-Out from cookies by visiting Network Advertising and Pandora or by going to ‘Settings’ on your browser:
 

To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites, visit Google Analytics Opt-out Browser.

Cookies we use

Thunderhead

Purpose

To collect analytical data about how visitors use our sites to improve reporting across RHS’s web domains and relevance of content seen by visitors

Function

Performance and Targeting

Cookie(s)

_one_<various>, _one_srv_<various>

Mention Me

Purpose

Provides a refer a friend programme

Function

To target and track our reward scheme

Cookie(s)

mm_id, redirecttoflow, mm_analytics

See the full list of cookies used by Mention Me

We will update this Cookie Policy in accordance with applicable laws from time to time so please check regularly because when you use our site the cookie policy as updated will apply.

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.