Who we are
This website is operated by Sparkline Advisory Ltd, company number 17164009, registered in England and Wales. Our registered office address is Piccadilly Business Centre, Unit C, Aldow Enterprise Park, Blackett Street, Manchester, M12 6AE.
We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a data controller. This policy explains how we use cookies on our website and what choices you have.
If you have any questions about this policy, please contact us at: [email protected]m
What are cookies
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work, to work more efficiently, and to provide information to the website operator.
Cookies can be:
- Session cookies – temporary files that are deleted when you close your browser.
- Persistent cookies – files that remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them, enabling the website to recognise you across multiple visits.
Some cookies are set by us directly. Others are set by third-party services that appear on our pages. We explain both below.
How we manage cookie consent
We use CookieYes, a consent management platform, to manage your cookie preferences. When you visit our website for the first time, a banner will appear allowing you to accept or decline different categories of cookies.
Only strictly necessary cookies are loaded before you give your consent. All other cookies are loaded only after you have actively accepted them.
You can change your preferences at any time by clicking the “Manage cookies” link in the footer of our website. Your preferences are stored for 12 months, after which you will be asked again.
Cookies we use
The tables below set out the cookies used on this website, organised by category.
| 1. Strictly necessary cookies |
These cookies are essential for the website to function and cannot be switched off. They are set in response to actions you take, such as setting your privacy preferences or logging in. You can set your browser to block these cookies, but some parts of the site may not work as a result.
| Cookie name | Purpose | Expiry | Provider |
| cookieyes-consent | Stores your cookie consent preferences so you are not asked again on every page visit. | 1 year | CookieYes |
| cky-active-check | Checks whether the CookieYes banner script is active and able to load. | Session | CookieYes |
| wordpress_logged_in_* | Authenticates logged-in users and maintains their session. | Session | WordPress / this site |
| wp-settings-* | Stores user interface preferences for logged-in users. | 1 year | WordPress / this site |
| PHPSESSID | Maintains your session state across page requests. | Session | This site |
| 2. Analytics cookies |
These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. We use this data to improve our content and the overall experience. These cookies are only loaded with your consent.
| Cookie name | Purpose | Expiry | Provider |
| _ga | Registers a unique ID to distinguish users and calculate visit statistics. | 2 years | Google Analytics |
| _ga_* | Stores and updates a unique value for each page visited, used to maintain session state. | 2 years | Google Analytics |
| _gid | Registers a unique ID to distinguish users. Used to generate statistical data on website usage. | 24 hours | Google Analytics |
| _gat | Used to throttle the request rate to Google Analytics, limiting data collection on high-traffic sites. | 1 minute | Google Analytics |
Google Analytics is operated by Google LLC. Data collected may be transferred to and processed in the United States. Google LLC participates in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and processes data in accordance with standard contractual clauses. For more information, see Google’s privacy policy at policies.google.com/privacy.
| 3. Functional cookies |
These cookies enable additional functionality on our website, such as our newsletter signup form. They are only loaded with your consent.
| Cookie name | Purpose | Expiry | Provider |
| ml_subscriber | Identifies whether a visitor has previously subscribed to our newsletter, to avoid showing duplicate signup prompts. | 1 year | MailerLite |
| ml_subscriber_hash | Used alongside ml_subscriber to verify subscriber status securely. | 1 year | MailerLite |
Our newsletter signup form is provided by MailerLite UAB, registered in Lithuania. Data submitted through the form is processed in accordance with MailerLite’s privacy policy, available at mailerlite.com/legal/privacy-policy. MailerLite operates within the European Economic Area and complies with UK GDPR requirements.
Third-party cookies
Some cookies on our site are set by third-party services. We do not control these cookies and they are subject to the privacy policies of the relevant third parties. The third parties whose cookies may be set on this site are:
- Google LLC (Google Analytics) – analytics.google.com
- MailerLite UAB (newsletter forms) – mailerlite.com
- CookieYes Ltd (consent management) – cookieyes.com
We do not use any advertising, retargeting, or social media tracking cookies.
Managing and withdrawing consent
You have several options for controlling cookies:
Through our cookie banner
When you first visit our site, the CookieYes banner allows you to accept all cookies, decline non-essential cookies, or choose individual categories. You can revisit and update your preferences at any time by clicking “Manage cookies” in the footer of our website.
Through your browser
Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically:
- View which cookies have been set on your device.
- Block all cookies or cookies from specific sites.
- Delete cookies that have already been set.
Please note that blocking certain cookies may affect how our website functions. Browser settings vary – refer to your browser’s help documentation for guidance. Links to guidance for common browsers are below:
- Google Chrome: support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647
- Mozilla Firefox: support.mozilla.org/kb/cookies-information-websites-store-on-your-computer
- Microsoft Edge: support.microsoft.com/microsoft-edge/delete-cookies-in-microsoft-edge
- Apple Safari: support.apple.com/guide/safari/manage-cookies
Opting out of Google Analytics
You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting data about your visits by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on, available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
Changes to this policy
We may update this cookie policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legislation, or our own practices. The date at the top of this page shows when the policy was last updated. Where changes are material, we will notify visitors via the cookie consent banner.
We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies.
Contact us
If you have any questions or concerns about our use of cookies or about how we handle your personal data more generally, please contact us:
- Company: Sparkline Advisory Ltd
- Company number: 17164009
- Registered office: Piccadilly Business Centre, Unit C, Aldow Enterprise Park, Blackett Street, Manchester, M12 6AE
- Email: [email protected]