About Us
“Educating the mind without the heart is no education at all”
Founded in 2009, ACELLR was created to serve and support professionals in education, healthcare, and corporate environments who seek actionable solutions to the complex challenges posed by emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills in the workplace. Launched in June of that year by one of the foundational figures in emotional intelligence, Jack Mayer, the Centre has since become a beacon for those aiming to build emotionally literate and effective organisations.
Our Centre draws deep inspiration from the pioneering work of Honorary Professor Richard Majors, whose influential contributions to emotional literacy in Europe have guided our mission. In recognition of his ground-breaking interventions, Professor Majors was honoured with two prestigious Transfer of Innovation (TOI) awards from the European Union in 2009 and 2010, acknowledging his innovative work in emotional intelligence and wellness across diverse groups.
ACELLR comprises a dedicated team of professionals with extensive expertise in emotional intelligence, emotional literacy, communication, strategic planning, corporate coaching, cultural competence, organisational performance, benchmarking, and assessment. Together, we deliver essential tools and frameworks that enable individuals and organisations to enhance communication, improve workplace dynamics, and drive performance-focused growth.
Under the direction of Honorary Professor Richard Majors, our Centre offers a range of workshops, seminars, and tailored programmes, addressing the needs of public and private sector entities, educators, and healthcare providers. These programmes are meticulously designed to enhance emotional literacy and equip participants with the “soft skills” essential for personal and professional success. Our mission is to help individuals and organisations alike achieve their goals with resilience and integrity.
Recognising that time is invaluable, ACELLR has curated an array of intensive full-day and half-day workshops. Our Essential Business Soft Skills programmes are crafted to optimise outcomes efficiently, making them ideal for those entering the industry or professionals seeking to refine their skill sets without significant disruption to their daily work routines.
Our Mission:
We are dedicated to fostering a society where emotional literacy forms the foundation of professional and educational systems, cultivating resilience and empathy across all sectors.
Our Values:
Excellence, Integrity, Empowerment, and Lasting Impact.
The centre curently focuses on the below key areas:
- Developing Positive Conflict Management Strategies
- Supporting Positive Mental Health & Preventing Burnout
- Reducing Exclusions and Improving Referral Systems in Schools
- Managing and Inspiring People Through Emotional Literacy and Behavioural Strategies
- Addressing and Reducing Classroom Conflict with Emotional Literacy
- Reducing Youth Crime by Addressing the “School-to-Prison” Pipeline
Additionally, we are excited to be developing our “Choose Your Emotions” mobile app—a unique tool designed to support emotional learning and personal resilience. Through our programmes, partnerships, and technological initiatives, ACELLR is committed to creating a more emotionally literate, compassionate, and effective society.
Distinguished Fellow, Dr Richard Majors
Dr. Richard Majors is a Counselling Psychologist and Honorary Professor at the University of Colorado in the United States, who has been living and working in the UK for over 20 years. He is the founder and former deputy editor of the Journal of African American Studies (formerly the Journal of African American Men), one of the largest ethnic journals in the US.
Senior Fellow, Dr. Hall
Ronald E. Hall graduated with distinction, after which his professional career began as a clinical social worker. His professional role encompassed the practice of individual and group psychotherapy with schizophrenic and manic-depressive clients. Subsequent to numerous clinical observations, Dr. Hall incorporated the notion of skin color, among people of color, as a critical dynamic of mental health.
Senior Fellow, Dr Simmons
Llew is a former Assistant Professor at the University of Dayton, Department of Education Leadership, in Ohio. He is currently the Director of Academics for the Bermuda Ministry of Education. As a partner and Senior Fellow for the Applied Centre of Emotional Literacy, Research & Leadership (ACELLR) he brings his k-12 teaching and counselling, to higher education knowledge and skills.
Fellow, Dr. Steven Clarke
Dr Clarke is an experienced chartered educational psychologist, who has worked with children and young people for over thirty years. His areas of interest and expertise are; children and young people with social and emotional behavioural difficulties and children and young people who experience difficulties with acquiring learning.
Fellow, Waqas Mehmood
A people-focused, results-driven, and award-winning Senior Education Manager with proven success delivering exceptional academic and operational projects and spearheading initiatives to assure quality, compliance, and improved institutional outcomes. He is also a research fellow at the Applied Centre for Emotional Literacy Leadership and Research (ACELLR)
Fellow, Dr. Muhammad K Rehman
With 14 years of ombudsman experience at HSBC’s head office and 12 years of business development and stakeholder engagement has consistently developed effective relationships with school administrators, fellow teachers, community leaders, and other professionals and is also a research fellow at the Applied Centre for Emotional Literacy Leadership and Research (ACELLR).
Assistant Fellow, Moshesh Reid
Moshesh Reid, founder of LearnAnyJob.com, draws on over 20 years in the telecoms industry and his own apprenticeship at British Telecom to champion hands-on vocational learning. Witnessing the need for practical skills and ongoing real-world experience, he created a platform that bridges the gap between education and employment. Through partnerships such as Oakswood Group & ACELLR, he supports NEET candidates in overcoming barriers to meaningful work. Moshesh’s efforts have been recognised at events like Virgin StartUp’s “Elevator of Dreams”. His mission is to align education with industry needs, empowering individuals for long-term success.
