Bell was founded by Frank Bell, a University of Cambridge graduate, with a love of languages and a powerful vision.Frank’s inspiration came from his time as a prisoner of war during the Second World War. In the harsh conditions of the camp, he taught his fellow prisoners Spanish and French, a simple act of defiance that quickly led to the creation of a ‘secret university’, which taught a broad range of subjects.After the war, Frank Bell returned to England. Reflecting on his experiences, he realised that the route to international co-operation and understanding lay in learning. This led him to open his first language school in Cambridge, which still operates today as Bell Cambridge.To ensure that this work stayed true to Frank Bell’s charitable mission of transforming lives through language education, in 2012 Trustees restructured The Bell Educational Trust: The Bell Foundation became the sole charitable shareholder, and Bell Educational Services Ltd (Bell) its commercial trading subsidiary, so that profits made from teaching support the charity’s work.