Dorset County Hospital Charity
Last updated: 23 October 2026
This Cookie Policy explains how Dorset County Hospital Charity (“we”, “us” or “our”) uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit https://dchcharity.org.uk/ (the “Website”).
This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which explains how we process personal data and your rights in relation to that data:
https://dchcharity.org.uk/privacy-policy/
- What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your computer, smartphone, tablet or other device when you visit a website. They allow a website to recognise your device and can be used for various purposes, including enabling essential website functions, remembering preferences, understanding how visitors use a website and delivering content or services.
We may also use technologies similar to cookies, such as pixels, tags and scripts. For convenience, we refer to these technologies collectively as “cookies” in this policy.
- How we use cookies
We use cookies and similar technologies for a limited number of purposes, depending on how the Website and its associated services are configured.
These purposes may include:
Strictly necessary cookies
These cookies are required to operate the Website, maintain security, remember your cookie preferences or provide a service you have specifically requested. They may be used without consent where permitted by applicable law.
Analytics cookies
These cookies help us understand how visitors use the Website, including which pages are visited and how visitors navigate the site. We use this information to monitor and improve the Website.
Where analytics technologies do not qualify for an applicable legal exemption, we will obtain your consent before activating them.
Certain analytics technologies may be used without consent where an exemption under applicable UK law applies. This will depend on the specific technology, its purpose, the safeguards in place and whether the relevant statutory conditions are satisfied. Where an exemption applies, we will provide a simple, free and accessible way for you to object to that use.
We will assess our analytics configuration before relying on any exemption and will not assume that all Google Analytics cookies or similar technologies are automatically exempt.
Donation forms and security technologies
We use Donorfy to provide donation forms and associated fundraising services. Our donation forms may also use Google reCAPTCHA to help protect against spam, automated submissions, fraud and other malicious activity.
Some technologies may be necessary to provide a service you have requested or to maintain security. Other technologies may require consent, depending on their purpose, configuration and the applicable legal requirements.
Third-party and embedded-content cookies
Some pages may include content or services provided by third parties, including social media platforms. These providers may use cookies or similar technologies when their content is loaded or interacted with.
Where technically feasible, non-essential third-party technologies will not load until the relevant consent has been given.
We do not use cookies simply because they are available. We assess their purpose and legal requirements and will obtain consent where required.
- Cookies we use
Our Website uses cookies and similar technologies to support website functionality, remember cookie preferences, understand how visitors use our Website and support security and embedded services.
The cookies used may vary depending on the pages you visit, the services available on those pages and the choices you make through our cookie consent tool.
The following table identifies cookies and cookie groups observed during our initial review. We are continuing to verify the purpose, duration and consent requirements of individual cookies and will update this information as our review progresses.
| Cookie name or group | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
| _ga | Google Analytics | Used for website analytics, including distinguishing visitors. | One year |
| _ga_6TK5PJ710D | Google Analytics | Used in connection with Google Analytics measurement. | One year |
| _ga_TNNDYBSBDC | Google Analytics | Appears to be associated with Google Analytics measurement; its specific configuration is being checked. | One year |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | Cookie consent tool | Records the visitor’s necessary-cookie preference, subject to confirmation. | One year |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-non-necessary | Cookie consent tool | Records the visitor’s preference for non-essential cookies, subject to confirmation. | One year |
| CookieLawInfoConsent and viewed_cookie_policy | Cookie consent tool | Appear to store cookie consent choices or information about the cookie notice. | One year |
| Other Google cookies | The purpose depends on the Google service involved. We are reviewing which services set these cookies and whether they are associated with embedded content, security features or other functionality. | One year | |
| Donorfy, reCAPTCHA, Meta and other third-party technologies | Relevant service provider | May support donation forms, security, embedded content, analytics or other functions where these services are enabled. | One year |
The table will be updated as we confirm the cookies and similar technologies operating on our Website, including their purposes, providers, durations and applicable consent requirements.
We will not treat a cookie as necessary merely because it is used by a third-party service. We will assess whether each technology is strictly necessary for the service requested or whether consent is required under applicable law.
Where consent is required, the relevant non-essential technology should not be activated before consent is given. Where we rely on a legal exemption, we will assess and document whether the applicable conditions are satisfied.
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our Website and to help improve its content, functionality and performance.
Depending on the configuration, Google Analytics may collect information about pages visited, interactions with the Website, device and browser characteristics and approximate location.
We will obtain consent before activating analytics technologies where required by law. If we rely on a statutory exemption for technologies used solely for qualifying statistical purposes, we will first verify that the applicable conditions are met and provide an appropriate way to object.
Further information about Google’s data practices is available through Google’s privacy documentation.
Donorfy
Our donation pages and donation forms are provided through Donorfy, a third-party fundraising and donor-management platform.
When you access or use a Donorfy donation form, Donorfy may use cookies or similar technologies to provide, secure and operate the service.
Some technologies may be necessary to complete a donation or provide functionality you have requested. Any additional technologies will be assessed separately to determine whether consent is required.
Information collected through the donation process may also be subject to Donorfy’s own privacy terms and documentation.
Google reCAPTCHA
Our Donorfy donation forms may use Google reCAPTCHA to help protect against spam, automated submissions, fraud and other malicious activity.
reCAPTCHA may use cookies, scripts and other information to assess whether interactions with forms are likely to have been generated by legitimate users or automated systems.
We will review how reCAPTCHA is implemented, including whether it operates before a visitor has made a cookie choice and whether any applicable exemption is available. Where consent is required, the relevant technologies must not be activated before consent is given.
Meta integrations
We may use services provided by Meta Platforms, Inc., including embedded Facebook content, social media feeds, plugins, pixels or other Meta technologies.
Depending on their configuration, these technologies may collect information about your device, browser and interactions with our Website. They may also be used for measurement or advertising.
Where consent is required, Meta technologies will not be activated before you provide the relevant consent. If you decline, some embedded content or functionality may not be available.
Embedded social media content
We may display or embed social media content, feeds or other material from third-party platforms, including Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
When third-party content loads, the relevant provider may collect information about your device and your interaction with that content, even though it appears within our Website.
Where technically feasible, we will prevent embedded social media content and associated non-essential technologies from loading until you have given the relevant consent.
Before consent is given, we may display a placeholder or notice explaining that the content requires your permission. The content will only load following the relevant consent, where consent is required and the technical arrangements support this.
If you decline consent, some embedded content may not be displayed or may have limited functionality.
- Strictly necessary cookies
Some cookies are essential for the Website to operate correctly. For example, they may be needed to maintain security, enable forms, remember your cookie preferences or provide functionality that you have specifically requested.
These cookies may be used without consent where permitted by applicable law.
We will not classify a cookie as strictly necessary merely because it is technically useful or supplied as part of a third-party service. We will assess whether it meets the relevant legal requirements.
Where a service includes both necessary and non-essential technologies, we will assess those technologies separately wherever practicable.
- Your cookie choices
We will provide cookie preference controls that allow you to make informed choices about the use of cookies and similar technologies.
Where consent is required, we will obtain it before activating the relevant non-essential technologies.
Through our cookie preference controls, you should be able to:
- Accept optional cookies.
- Reject optional cookies.
- Choose between available categories of optional cookies, where supported.
- Change or withdraw your consent at any time.
Cookie Settings
You can change or withdraw your cookie consent by selecting the Cookie Settings link on our Website. We intend to make this link available through the Website footer or another clearly accessible location.
Withdrawing consent must be as easy as giving it. Where technically feasible, withdrawing consent will prevent the relevant non-essential technologies from continuing to operate and will update your saved preferences.
If you cannot access Cookie Settings, you can contact us at dch.charitycomms@nhs.net and request assistance with your preferences.
Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of any processing that took place before you withdrew your consent.
Please note that blocking or disabling certain cookies may affect parts of the Website, particularly donation forms, embedded content or other third-party services.
- Browser controls
Most web browsers allow you to control or delete cookies through their settings. You can usually configure your browser to block cookies, delete existing cookies or notify you when a cookie is being placed on your device.
If you disable all cookies through your browser, some Website features may not function correctly.
Browser controls are an additional option and do not replace the cookie preference controls we provide where required by law.
Information about managing cookies is available through the help or privacy settings of your browser.
- Third-party cookies and services
Some cookies and similar technologies are provided by third parties whose services appear on or are integrated into our Website.
These providers may process information collected through their technologies in accordance with their own privacy policies and terms. Their practices may change independently of this policy.
We will take reasonable steps to understand which third-party technologies operate on our Website, what information they collect and whether they require consent.
Where third-party services process personal data on our behalf, we will take appropriate steps to ensure that the processing is governed by suitable contractual and data-protection arrangements.
Where applicable, we will also assess the roles and responsibilities of providers that process personal data for their own purposes.
- Personal information
Some cookies and similar technologies may involve information that constitutes personal data, either by itself or when combined with other information.
Where we process personal data obtained through cookies, we do so in accordance with applicable data-protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, as applicable.
We will ensure that the use of cookies and similar technologies complies with applicable privacy and electronic communications requirements, including the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).
For more information about how we collect, use and protect personal data, please see our Privacy Policy:
https://dchcharity.org.uk/privacy-policy/
- International transfers
Some third-party providers used on our Website may process information outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area.
Where personal data is transferred internationally, we will assess whether the transfer is permitted under the applicable data-protection legislation and whether appropriate safeguards are required.
Depending on the circumstances, safeguards may include:
- A UK adequacy regulation or an applicable adequacy decision.
- The UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA).
- The UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses.
- Other applicable transfer mechanisms or safeguards permitted under relevant data-protection legislation.
Where required, we will assess the circumstances of the transfer and whether supplementary technical, organisational or contractual measures are necessary.
Where EU data-protection law applies, we will also consider the relevant EU transfer requirements.
- Review and changes to this Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes to the cookies and technologies used on the Website, changes to our services or third-party providers, or changes in applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
We will periodically review the cookies and similar technologies operating on our Website. We will also review them when the Website, its functionality, donation forms, embedded content, integrations or associated services change in a way that may affect their use.
Our reviews will consider, where relevant:
- The cookies and similar technologies present on the Website.
- Their names, providers, purposes and durations.
- Whether they are strictly necessary or require consent.
- Whether any applicable exemption is available and its conditions are met.
- Whether consent and withdrawal mechanisms operate correctly.
- Whether third-party content is blocked until the relevant consent is given, where required and technically feasible.
- Whether appropriate contractual and international transfer safeguards remain in place.
We will update the cookie inventory and this policy when necessary to reflect the findings of these reviews.
We will publish the updated version on this page and revise the “Last updated” date. Where appropriate, we may also ask you to review or renew your cookie preferences.
- Contact us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please contact us:
Charity name: Dorset County Hospital Charity
Address: Williams Ave, Dorchester, DT1 2JY
Email: dch.charitycomms@nhs.net
Telephone: 01305 253215
If you have concerns about how we use cookies or personal data, you can also contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), where applicable.