Legal Education Foundation announces first grant recipients

The Legal Education Foundation, one of the largest legal charitable foundations in the United Kingdom, has announced the first six organisations to be awarded grants.

The foundation was created in 2012 following the sale of education and training business, The College of Law. The governors of the College - now rebranded as The University of Law - decided that the £200 million capital endowment from the sale should be used to further the institution’s charitable objective.

At a time when legal aid cuts and pressure to charitable funding threaten to overwhelm pro bono projects and law centre services, the opportunity offered by the foundation’s grants has significant potential. The foundation seeks to support projects that focus on enhancing access to justice, access to the legal profession and access to legal education.

Winners of the first grants include the Advocacy Training Council (ATC), Galleries of Justice and Pathways Phase 3. Nicholas Green QC, chairman of the ATC, said: "This will enable us to make a real contribution to access to justice and the development of fairer and more effective trial procedures in the crucial area of vulnerable witnesses. The ATC's on-going collaborative projects…have been given added momentum by the Foundation’s grant."

Applications are now open for the second round of applications; submissions should be made by 15 October 2013. Interested organisations should consult the Legal Education Foundation website for details of the grant criteria and application timetable.