A global litigation funder says it focused on the Covid-19 and climate change crises when awarding its latest grants, totalling £399,000, to organisations providing access to justice.

Therium Access, the not-for-profit arm of Therium, announced the recipients of its summer 2020 grants this month. They are: Access to Social Care, ClientEarth, Crosslight Advice, Hope for Justice, Legal Aid Practitioners Group, Public Law Project, RCJ Advice, and Urgenda Foundation.

Access to Social Care will recruit a part-time legal manager in the South West of England and Gloucestershire to support people with social care needs.

ClientEarth’s grant will go towards its environmental democracy team to help enforce the public’s rights to access to justice, information and public participation in environment matters.

Crosslight Advice’s money will go towards the core costs of providing a debt advice service and expanding capacity.

Hope for Justice will recruit an independent modern slavery advocate.

Legal Aid Practitioners Group will hire a head of learning and development to expand the group’s training offering.

Public Law Project will receive a core funding grant to support its work providing public law remedies to those marginalised through poverty or discrimination to hold public authorities to account during the pandemic.

RCJ Advice will employ a specialist bankruptcy and debt caseworker to provide a daily drop-in service at the Central London County Court, which was at risk of closure.

The Urgenda Foundation’s grant will support the work of the charity’s Climate Litigation Network, which supports communities to hold their governments to account for climate change inaction.

Therium Access has awarded £1.4m in grants since it was set up last year by Therium founders and solicitors John Byrne and Neil Purslow.