LONDON – Today The Legal Education Foundation (TLEF) announced the appointment of Ailsa Beaton (previously CIO with Metropolitan Police) and Professor Tim Blackman (Pro Vice Chancellor at the Open University) to its Board of Governors.

The Foundation also announced an additional £500,000 in grants has been awarded to 22 new projects which brings its total financial support to over £5 million with 67 projects since its launch in January 2013. New grantees include

• £125,000 to the Personal Support Unit: This charity provides trained volunteers to people facing civil court proceedings without legal representation.
• £50,000 to the Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit (ATLEU) Limited, a new charity providing legal representation to victims of trafficking and labour exploitation; assisting victims to obtain safety, recovery and redress.

TLEF CEO, Matthew Smerdon said: “The law plays an essential role in supporting civil society, economic development and democracy. The Foundation’s vision is of a society where everyone understands the role and value of the law and has the capability and opportunity to use it to ensure their rights and to fulfil the obligations that accompany these rights. We are very proud to have been able to support so many important initiatives that are aligned with this vision.”

TLEF Chairman, Guy Beringer said: “Our additional focus on how technology and research can help us achieve our broader goals has led us to these two important Governor appointments. We welcome them to the team and believe their appointment will help the Foundation to make a real difference.”

• Beaton was previously the Chief Information Officer with the Metropolitan Police and currently a NED with the BACS Payment Schemes and the Information Commissioners Office. In addition to her expertise with IT systems and leadership, she also specialises in public and corporate uses of information, data protection and Freedom of Information Act.
• Blackman is the Pro Vice Chancellor at the Open University. He was elected to the Academy of Social Sciences in 2004 and was appointed by Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) as a Research Excellence Framework (REF) assessor for Social Policy and Social Work and he has advised Government on health inequalities and evidence-based practice in local strategic partnerships.

The Legal Education Foundation (TLEF), launched in January 2013, has granted £5 million to over 67 projects. The next grant application deadline is 5 May 2015.