A WELL-known Winchester figure who helped set up and run a charity for orphaned and neglected South American children has died following a long fight against cancer.

Clive Houghton, 53, died at the weekend after battling prostate cancer for two years.

Clive and his wife Beth founded the Nicaragua-based charity, the Maranatha Family Village, after returning from a trip to central America in 1997.

With the help of The Immanuel Church, Clive and Beth started fundraising for Maranatha, with the hope of giving disadvantaged young people the opportunity to experience life in a family.

Building work on the project - which is situated in Nicaragua just outside the capital Managua - began in 1998 after thousands of pounds were pledged by local people for the project.

Clive, who was the former Pastor of the Immanuel Church and chief-partner in a local firm of architects made his last visit to the village in August this year. The progress he saw impressed him.

Yesterday, a family member at the house said he died peacefully, with great dignity. It was a very sad moment for everyone who knew him. Clive, of Sleepers Hill, leaves five children.

Today friends and colleagues paid tribute to the man described as having the warmest of hearts and bags of energy and enthusiasm.

John Waldron, director at the firm architectureplb, said: "Clive will be remembered by his friends and colleagues at architecture plb for his crucial contribution to developing it from a small provincial architectural partnership into a thriving practice with a national reputation.

Far more important to us was his determination that in the process the practice should never lose sight of the human, personal and ethical dimension.

"For over twenty years he provided a leadership that engendered great loyalty and affection among colleagues, clients and professional associates alike, transcending normal business relationships.

"He was guided and strengthened by his religious faith.

He would always acknowledge that without the support of his wife, Beth, the burden would have been far more difficult to bear.

"His energy and enthusiasm immediately impressed all who met him; however it was his directness and his, sometimes searching, honesty that made people realise that with Clive they were in the presence of someone special.

"Clive was greatly loved by us and will be greatly missed."

A friend, Ray Love, the city councillor, said: "He was a lovely man, a genuine guy. He was a very good Christian who would help anybody."