Tributes are being paid to Edwin Sowerbutts, an evangelical church stalwart in Blackburn who worked with generations of young people, who has died at the age of 79.

Mr Sowerbutts, who was intensely proud to be born and bred in Blackburn, made his living as a plant engineer at the town’s historic Phillips Components plant but his real life’s work lay in his religious devotion and his youth work.

Born in 1941, Edwin Sowerbutts first began organising Christian summer camps at the age of 20, going on the run them together with his wife Joan in the 1970s and continuing to do so right up into his sixties.

Son Philip, a Vicar at Castle Church in Stafford, said: “The interest I’ve had over the last few days, I’ve had loads and loads of people contact me saying they were in his youth groups and what an influence he had on their lives.”

Children at the camps, which were run with the support of BBC Children in Need, could number up to 120 a year, meaning that thousands will have passed through over the years.

Mr Sowerbutts also worked with teenagers through the Duke of Edinburgh scheme and his devotion extended into all kinds of areas of public life in the town where he worked hard to promote his church and support the people of Blackburn.

At various points was he Chair Of Governors at St Matthew’s Primary School, the lay leader of Blackburn with Darwen Synod and, in one of his proudest achievements, the chairman of the committee that got the evangelical Christ Church Blackburn built on Mosely Street in 1997, which still runs to this day.

He would go on to serve as a church warden at Mosely Street for many years.

Philip said: “He was a lovely Christian guy.

He served churches in various ways all his life, he was a real leading light in the church, and he was the kind of guy who kept the church running.”

Despite his devotion to religion Mr Sowerbutts was never tempted to take orders and become a church leader himself, preferring instead to work as an organiser.

“He was a practical guy, he was a meetings kind of guy.

“He wasn’t the sort of person who’d address audiences, but he’d make sure everything would get done.”

Mr Sowerbutts’ practical skills were also put to good use in his free time in which he was renowned for his skill with his hands and his love of collecting and building model railways.

Edwin Sowerbutts’ example would also go on to inspire his own children, all of whom he brought up as youth leaders and who gave him six grandchildren.

His son Philip, before becoming a vicar had been a primary school teacher, while daughter Carole works in education in Devon and daughter Julie for a children’s refuge home.

Philip says that his father was extremely proud to see his children continue his work and for his own son to become a leader in the church he had served his whole life.

Towards the end of his life, Mr Sowerbutts sadly developed dementia around five years ago, and died earlier this week.

He is survived by his children, grandchildren and wife Joan.

A private family service led by Philip will be held at Pleasington Crematorium with a public memorial service held at a later date to be confirmed.