Cookie Policy
Last updated: March 2026
This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how Apex Aspire Limited (“we”, “us”, “our”) uses them on apexaspire.co.uk, and what choices you have regarding their use.
We comply with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). Except where cookies are strictly necessary to provide a service you have requested, we will only set cookies with your consent.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that a website places on your computer, phone, or other device when you visit. They are widely used to make websites work correctly or more efficiently, and to provide information to the website owner. Cookies can be “session” cookies (deleted when you close your browser) or “persistent” cookies (stored on your device for a set period).
We also use similar technologies — such as local storage and pixels — where relevant. References to “cookies” in this policy cover all such technologies.
Cookies we use
We use a small number of cookies, grouped into the categories below. We do not use any advertising, retargeting, or cross-site tracking cookies.
1. Strictly necessary cookies
These cookies are essential for this website to function. They do not require your consent under PECR because they are necessary to provide a service you have explicitly requested. You cannot opt out of these cookies without disabling the relevant functionality.
| Cookie name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| payload-token | Apex Aspire (Payload CMS) | Authenticates admin users logged into the website’s content management system. Only set for authenticated CMS administrators; never set for regular website visitors. | Session / up to 2 hours |
| __cf_bm | Cloudflare | Set by Cloudflare Turnstile, which we use to protect our contact form against automated bot submissions. This cookie distinguishes between humans and bots. No personal browsing data is used for advertising. | 30 minutes |
| cf_clearance | Cloudflare | Records that a Cloudflare challenge (bot verification) has been passed, so the challenge is not repeated unnecessarily during the same session. | Session / up to 1 year |
2. Analytics and performance cookies
We use two analytics services on this website:
- Vercel Analytics — collects aggregated, anonymised data about pages visited and traffic patterns. Vercel Analytics is designed to be cookieless — it uses a privacy-preserving approach that derives aggregate statistics without storing a persistent identifier on your device. No consent is required for Vercel Analytics as no cookies or personal data are collected.
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4) — helps us understand user journeys and site performance in more detail. GA4 sets cookies on your device. These cookies are only set if you accept analytics cookies via our consent banner.
| Cookie name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _vercel_insights | Vercel | Used by Vercel Analytics to distinguish unique visits for aggregate traffic reporting. No individual-level tracking; data is used only in aggregate. May not be set on all visits depending on Vercel’s current implementation. | Up to 24 hours |
| _vercel_speed_insights | Vercel | Used by Vercel Speed Insights to measure Core Web Vitals (page load performance) in aggregate. Data is not linked to any individual user. | Session |
| _ga | Google Analytics (GA4) | Used by Google Analytics to distinguish users. Assigns a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors and calculate aggregate statistics about site usage. Only set with your consent. | 2 years |
| _ga_XXXXXXX | Google Analytics (GA4) | Used by Google Analytics to persist session state and track events within a session. The suffix is specific to the GA4 measurement ID for this website. Only set with your consent. | 2 years |
If we introduce any additional analytics cookies in future, this policy will be updated before they are set, and your consent will be sought where required.
Legal basis for using cookies
Under PECR and UK GDPR, our legal bases are as follows:
- Strictly necessary cookies — no consent is required; these are set on the basis of legitimate interests or because they are essential to deliver a service you have requested (for example, keeping you logged in to the admin panel, or completing a bot-protection challenge when submitting our contact form).
- Analytics and performance cookies — Google Analytics 4 cookies (
_gaand_ga_*) are set only on the basis of your consent. Vercel Analytics operates without cookies and requires no consent; where Vercel does set a cookie (e.g. for Web Vitals), it is set on the basis of legitimate interests for fully aggregated, non-identifiable statistics.
How to manage and control cookies
You can control or delete cookies at any time. Your options include:
Browser settings
Most web browsers allow you to manage cookies through their settings. You can typically find these options under Privacy, Security, or History in your browser menu. Common browser guides:
Please be aware that restricting or deleting cookies may affect the functionality of this website. In particular, disabling the Cloudflare Turnstile cookies may prevent our contact form from working correctly.
Opting out of analytics
You can withdraw consent for Google Analytics 4 cookies at any time by adjusting your cookie preferences or by deleting the _ga and _ga_* cookies via your browser settings. You may also install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on to prevent Google Analytics from collecting data about your visits across all websites.
Because Vercel Analytics operates without persistent cookies, no specific opt-out action is required. If you wish to block all analytics requests, you may use a browser extension such as uBlock Origin.
Third-party cookies
Some cookies on this website are set by third parties (Cloudflare, Vercel, and Google). We do not control how those third parties use data collected via their cookies. We encourage you to review their own privacy and cookie policies:
Children
This website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly set cookies on devices used by children.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legislation, or our practices. When we make significant changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
Contact us
If you have any questions about how we use cookies, or wish to exercise any rights you may have under UK GDPR, please contact us at:
Apex Aspire Limited
Email: admin@apexaspire.co.uk
Website: apexaspire.co.uk
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection, if you believe your rights have not been respected.