REGULARS and volunteers at Harlow’s social supermarket, the Bounty Club, are reeling this week after news that one of their most dedicated volunteers, Adrian Howells passed away last weekend.

Adrian was fondly known as ‘Tall Adrian’ in the team, renowned for his statuesque height which accompanied his enormous energy, strength and fitness.

Coming only weeks after the team had been celebrating his 50th birthday, customers and fellow volunteers were stunned to hear the news.

Hailing originally from Tottenham, Adrian had made his home in Harlow for over 10 years, and for the last few years had found his place amongst his “Bounty Club family”, as he called them. As one of the ‘early-bird’ team Adrian was a regular on the 8 a.m. pick up, collecting fresh food from Brakes and bringing at back to sort out for customers at St Paul’s Church and BHS. The daily trip would often see over a tonne of food finding its way to families in need. In this period over 2,000 Harlow residents joined the Bounty Club, and to a huge number of them Adrian was an iconic figure: a local hero who gave his time generously and freely to help his neighbours. Adrian was also well known in his neighbourhood in Katherines as the cheerful guy who would help anyone out.

Andy Thornton, CEO at MRCT who run the Foodbank and Bounty Club commented,

“We are all finding this hard to take in. Adrian was a high-energy man of fewer words yet boundless action. He worked shoulder to shoulder with our team in such a productive way it is hard to believe that such a young and fit man has gone. So many of our regulars have been paying tribute to him – if I were to sum them up: “the kind of guy that just gave you a boost when you caught sight of him”, an inspiration. We will miss him hugely, his work and his life have been precious to us, and our hearts go out to his nearest and dearest at this terribly sad time.”

Adrian’s funeral will be in London in the coming weeks, and after that a memorial in St Paul’s will give thanks for his life, paying tribute to all that he has meant to those at MRCT and beyond. All are welcome.