Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of the website. This helps us to provide you with a good user experience when you browse our website and allows us to improve our site.  Fibromyalgia Friends are committed to supporting those affected by arthritis while respecting their privacy. This cookie policy outlines how we use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience on our website and ensure transparency in our practices.

A cookie is a small data file made up of letters and numbers that with your permission we store on your web browser or the hard drive of your device. When you use our website, it asks your browser to store the data on your device to remember information about you (e.g. language preference or login information). These ‘first-party’ cookies are set by us.  We also use third-party cookies when you use our website (see below for further information). 

When we mention ‘cookies’, we refer to both traditional cookies and other similar technologies; these include:

Session Cookies: Temporary data that vanishes when you close your browser.

Persistent Cookies: Data with a longer lifespan as separately indicated in the Cookie List below, enhancing your experience across visits.

Third-Party Cookies: These come from our partners (like social media platform providers, research institutions or support networks) and help us understand your interactions beyond our website.

Pixels (Similar Technology): A tracking pixel is a tiny, invisible piece of code embedded on our website. It is used to track certain user activities for analytics, performance and remarketing.  For example, it allows third party partners e.g. Facebook to track user interactions with the site, such as page views, clicks, and conversions. This data helps us measure the effectiveness of our advertisements and optimise our campaigns to make sure we are reaching as many people who want to support fibromyalgia sufferers as possible.  We do not place pixels on pages targeted at under 18’s, fibromyalgia specific or other health related pages. Use is limited to generic information and fundraising related pages. Sometimes these pixels are referred to as web beacons or pixel tags.

ssss Cookies are very important when it comes to your online user experience.

They enable us to:

Personalise Content: We use cookies to bring you relevant information related to fibromylagia management, treatments, fundraising, and support.

Optimise Digital Advertising: Cookies help us display targeted messages that resonate with your fibromyalgia journey.

Facilitate Social Connection: Share your stories, connect with fellow sufferers, and find strength in our community.

Analyse Website Traffic: By understanding how you navigate our site, we are able to improve its functionality for everyone.

By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. We respect your autonomy. You can manage cookies in the following ways:

Accept All Cookies: Click the “Accept Cookies” button on our cookie banner.

Manage Consent Preferences: If you prefer to refine your cookies, you can adjust your preferences to switch off targeting, performance, and functional cookies. If you do block or turn off these settings, you may not be able to access all or parts of our site. For more information about cookies you may visit www.aboutcookies.org

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When using our website or services, you consent to the use of cookies as outlined in this policy. Our cookies undergo regular review, and we use cookies essential for enhancing the experience of users interested in fibromyalgia information. Your data remains safeguarded throughout this process.

Consent Mechanisms

Before using this Fibromyalgia Friends Together website, users must consent to the use of cookies.  The first time a user tries to access our website our cookie message will show ‘by clicking accept all cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts’.

From here, a user can choose to ‘reject all cookies’, ‘accept all cookies’ or ‘access cookie settings’.

By clicking cookie settings, the user will access the preference centre where they can ‘allow all’, ‘reject all’ or manage consent preferences for targeting, performance and functional cookies.  Strictly necessary cookies are marked ‘always active’, without these cookies the website will not work.

If the user selects “reject all” they will be unable to use the website.

Cookie consent product helps organisations simplify cookie compliance and consent management.   manage user preferences and consent related to cookies. Through this, users express their choices regarding cookie usage, including opting in or out of specific types of cookies.

This website uses several different cookie types – all of which are explained below

rp…uru p and Strictly necessary cookies are essential for enabling basic website functionality. They allow users to navigate the site and perform essential functions including enabling you to log into secure areas of our website, use a shopping cart or make use of online donation services. These cookies are crucial for the proper functioning of the website. Specific examples include:

Session Cookies: These cookies remember user activities during a session, such as keeping users logged in or tracking items in an online shopping cart.

User-Input Cookies (Session ID): Used to store user inputs, such as form answers or shopping cart items.

Authentication Cookies: Confirm a user’s identity by tracking login credentials.

User-Centric Security Cookies: Detect authentication errors and incorrect login details.

Performance Cookies

Performance (analytical) cookies enable us to determine and count visitor numbers to our site and how they move around the website whilst using it.  This helps us to improve your experience using our website, such as if you find what you require, by collecting anonymous date about website performance, we can understand your website interactions, determine website enhancements and optimise the website and its loading times.  Performance Cookies include Load-balancing Cookies: such basic cookies connect information between a user’s web server and our web server. 

Functionality Cookies

 User experience is ehanced by Functionality cookies by remembering preferences and providing personalised features and this permits a more tailored browsing experience.  They recognise when you revisit our websiate, which enables us to personalise our content and remember your perferences (e.g. language preferences).  Examples of Functional Cookies are:

Customisation Cookies: Personalise content set be user behavious

User Preference Cookies:  Remember user settings, e.g., language preferences or font size choices.

 Targeting Cookies

These cookies record your visit to our site, which pages you have been to and the links you have followed.  This information will be used by use to make our website and advertising displayed more relevant to your interests.  Also, for this purpose we may share this information with third parties, so they can also show content and advertisements that you have been interested in whilst on our site. 
Targetimg/advertising cookies track users behaviour to serve up personalised advertisements to users.  Whist cookies of this type are not strictly necessary, they help us to adapt our content and promotions.  Examples of such cookies include:
Social Med Cookies:  track interactions with social media platforms and track integrate social media features.
Behavioural Advertising Cookies: collate user interest and preferences date to display corresponding advertisements. 

Tracking cookies

Tacking cookies collect data about the behaviours of users on our website, for example, page views, clicks, to help us to determine the effectiveness of our search engine optimisation and advertisements to optimise compaigns.  This is because they help us to understand our audience and thereby improve our services. Through analysis of the data they collect we are able to enhance your user experience and ensure content and adverts appeal to you.  

Third Party Cookies

Third Party Cookies are managed and establised by external partners acting for us and providing their services, and these recognise your devices when visiting other websites.  These cookies find frequent application in website analytics or advertising endeavours.  

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