Cookie policy

This policy explains what cookies are, how we use them and what you can do to manage how they are used.

This policy only relates to your use of the Northern Forest website. Should you visit any of the partnership websites you will need to familiarise yourself with their own cookie policy. The Northern Forest partnership is committed to protecting your personal data. By subscribing to our cookie services we can place the types of cookies set out below on your device and use that data in accordance with this policy.

To find out more about who we are, what cookies are, how we use them and how to reject them, please see our full cookie policy below.

Who are we? 

The Woodland Trust, the Community Forest Trust and four of the Community Forests in the North of England – The Mersey Forest, White Rose Forest, City of Trees (Greater Manchester) and Humber Forest are bringing the Northern Forest to life. Details about each of the Northern Forest partners can be found on each partner’s own website. 

What are cookies?

A cookie is a small text file which is placed onto your device (e.g computer, smartphone or other electronic device) when you use our website. We use cookies on our website to help us recognise you and your device, and store some information about your preferences or past actions.

For example, we may monitor how many times you visit the website and which pages you go to. This information helps us to build a profile of our users and what you like to view on our website. This data will be aggregated or statistical, which means that we will not be able to identify you individually.

Essential (or 'strictly necessary’) cookies allow you to move around our website and use its features or services. These cookies always need to be on as they help to make our website work. Essential cookies are a site’s basic form of memory, so they do things like remember if you are logged in to a part of the website.

Our use of cookies

We use cookies on this website to:

  • recognise when you visit our website (this speeds up your access to the website as you do not have to log in each time)
  • obtain information about your preferences and use of our website
  • carry out research and statistical analysis to help improve our content, products and services, and to help us better understand our users’ requirements
  • make your online experience more efficient and enjoyable.

For further information on cookies, visit the AboutCookies or All About Cookies websites.

Types of cookies

A visit to a page of our website may generate the following types of cookie.

  • Session cookies
    These allow our website to link your actions during a particular browser session. These expire each time you close your browser and do not remain on your device afterwards. We do not collect personal data from session cookies.
  • Persistent cookies
    These are stored on your device in between browser sessions and allow your preferences or actions across our website to be remembered. These will remain on your device until they expire or you delete them from your cache.

Additionally, the cookies that we place on your device may be the following types.

  • Strictly necessary cookies
    These are essential for you to be able to navigate our website and use its features. Without these cookies, the services you have asked for could not be provided.
  • Performance cookies
    These collect information about how you use our website. For example, which pages you go to most often. These cookies do not collect personally identifiable information about you. All information collected by these cookies is aggregated and anonymous, and is only used to improve how our website works.
  • Functionality cookies
    These allow our website to remember the choices you make (such as your username, language, last action and search preferences) and provide enhanced, more personal features. The information collected by these cookies is anonymous and cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.
  • Targeting cookies (third-party cookies and cookies used for advertising)
    These cookies are used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement on our website and help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. These may also be used to choose the advertisements that are displayed to you on our website and other websites.

Third-party cookies

Third-party cookies are generated and placed on the user’s device by a different website other than the one the user is visiting. They are created when a user visits a website that includes elements from other sites, such as third-party images or ads. If a server hosting one of these elements responds to the request by setting a cookie, that cookie is stored on the user’s browser.

Meta data

Metadata is information that describes or provides context about other data. It helps us understand basic details about how information is used and managed.

At the Trust, we may use metadata to record information such as:

  • when data was created
  • the purpose for which it was created
  • the date and time the data was generated.

This type of information helps us manage our systems effectively but does not usually include the content of communications. More information on how we use this can be located in our cookie policy.

Use of social media and Meta platforms

We use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, which are provided by Meta Platforms, Inc. These platforms collect meta data when you interact with them, such as information about your device, interactions, and usage patterns.

Meta operates a number of related 'Meta companies'. These companies may share information with each other to help operate, deliver, improve, personalise, support and promote their services and products. Further details about how Meta collects and uses information are available in Meta’s own privacy policy.

Use of instant messaging services

In some circumstances, some of the partner organisations may use instant messaging services such as WhatsApp to communicate. WhatsApp also collects meta data, such as information about who you communicate with, when messages are sent or received, and device-related information. The content of messages is protected by end-to-end encryption, however meta data may still be processed by the service provider.

Your choice and control

You can control how meta data is collected about you by adjusting your cookie settings in your browser and by reviewing the privacy and settings options provided by each social media or instant messaging platform you use. Each service explains how you can manage your preferences and exercise your data protection rights.

Which cookies do we use?

As the Woodland Trust manages the Northern Forest website, our cookie management principles have been applied to this website.

The list below outlines the purpose of each of the cookies we use and gives links to the privacy policies of any third parties involved. Please note that third parties may store or process data differently than we do as stated in this privacy policy.

Cookie type: strictly necessary.
Cookie author: Cloudflare.
Cookie purpose: this cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare bot management.
Policy location: Cloudflare privacy policy. 

Cookie type: analytics/targeting.
Cookie author: TikTok.
Cookie purpose: TikTok set this cookie to track and improve the performance of advertising campaigns, as well as to personalise the user experience.
Policy location: TikTok privacy policy.

Cookie type: analytics/targeting.
Cookie author: Google.
Cookie purpose: Google Tag Manager sets this cookie to experiment with advertisement efficiency of websites using their services.
Policy location: Google privacy policy.

Cookie type: analytics.
Cookie author: Google.
Cookie purpose: this cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data, and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognise unique visitors.
Policy location: Google privacy policy.

Cookie type: analytics.
Cookie author: TikTok.
Cookie purpose: Tiktok set this cookie to collect data about behaviour and activities on the website, and to measure the effectiveness of advertising.
Policy location: TikTok privacy policy.

Cookie type: analytics.
Cookie author: TikTok.
Cookie purpose: TikTok set this cookie to track and improve the performance of advertising campaigns, as well as to personalise the user experience.
Policy location: TikTok privacy policy.

Cookie type: analytics/targeting.
Cookie author: TikTok.
Cookie purpose: this cookie is used to recognise and match events for TikTok advertising campaigns. It helps with conversion attribution and ad optimisation.
Policy location: TikTok privacy policy.

Cookie type: targeting.
Cookie author: TikTok.
Cookie purpose: this cookie is part of the marketing used to track and report website traffic, ensuring that TikTok advertising campaigns are effective and targeting.
Policy location: TikTok privacy policy.

Cookie type: strictly necessary.
Cookie author: Vimeo.
Cookie purpose: this cookie is primarily used to maintain session state for users visiting a website. This cookie is generally employed to store unique session IDs that allows the server to recognise returning users.
Policy location: Vimeo legal hub.

Cookie type: strictly necessary.
Cookie author: Google.
Cookie purpose: global privacy control is a browser-level signal that automatically communicates user privacy preferences. It tells websites that a user wants to opt out of having their personal data sold or shared with third parties. Think of it as a 'do not sell or share my personal information' message.
Policy location: Google privacy policy.

Cookie type: analytics.
Cookie author: Google.
Cookie purpose: this cookie is used to measure the success of ad campaigns.
Policy location: Google privacy policy.

Cookie type: analytics.
Cookie author: ToolTalk.
Cookie purpose: this cookie manages sessions in ToolTalk, which is a messaging service used for inter-process communication. It is responsible for creating and managing sessions.
Policy location: ToolTalk privacy policy.

Cookie type: analytics/targeting.
Cookie author: TikTok.
Cookie purpose: this is part of the TikTok pixel. It helps track user activity, measure conversations and optimise marketing strategies.
Policy location: TikTok privacy policy.

Cookie type: analytics.
Cookie author: TikTok.
Cookie purpose: this cookie is a file that helps websites like TikTok understand which pixel or page instance is being used, allowing it to deliver a more personalised experience for you.
Policy location: TikTok privacy policy.

Cookie settings

If you do not want to accept cookies, you can change your browser settings so that cookies are not accepted. If you do this, please be aware that you may lose some of the functionality of our website and you will not receive a personalised service.

If you are primarily concerned about third-party cookies generated by advertisers, you can visit the Network Advertising Initiative – the trade body representing these advertising platforms – for more information. From their site, you can control third-party online advertising by managing your browser opt-outs.

Please note that these links will take you to other websites. The Northern Forest partnership will not be responsible for the information and the setting of cookies on these other websites.

For more information about cookies and how to disable them, visit the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website.

Data privacy by design and default

Data privacy by design and default means we apply appropriate measures to assess risk to our data subjects' individual rights by applying Articles 25(1) and 25(2) of the UK GDPR that outlines our obligations concerning data protection.

We have integrated safeguards and security measures to ensure that your data is kept safe and only processed in a way that you have agreed to. Please see our privacy policy for more details.

How to contact us

If you wish to talk through anything in our cookie policy, find out more about your rights or obtain a copy of the information we hold about you, please contact the Woodland Trust Northern Forest team using the details below.

  • by telephone: 0330 333 3300 (Woodland Trust support services)
  • by email: northernforest@woodlandtrust.org.uk
  • by post: Northern Forest team, Woodland Trust, Kempton Way, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL.

Please note that calls to our supporter services team may be monitored or recorded.

If you wish to raise a complaint about how we have handled your personal data, you can contact any of our partners' data protection teams (details found in our privacy policy) who will investigate the matter. If you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are not processing your personal data in accordance with the law, you can complain to the Fundraising Regulator or the ICO. Please do contact us first, as per the ICO guidelines.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time and advise you to visit this webpage in order to keep up to date with any changes.

This policy was last updated in April 2026.