The website rapidly began posting pictures and details about the fire and providing information about the new temporary locations where Sunday worship and other church activities would take place - providing a real service to the community at a time of crisis.
The second special award went to USPG - Anglicans in World Mission - which works in direct partnership with Anglican Churches in more than 50 countries, helping to support vital church work, including healthcare, education, leadership training and action for social justice.
The judges said they wanted to consider the website for the national website award, but were constrained by the rules of the competition. They said that next year they would introduce a additional new category.
The awards were sponsored by the Christian think-tank Ekklesia, which offered a consultancy day worth up to £300 as a prize, Christian Technology, which offered free web hosting for a year for each of the six winners, worth up to £1,500, and Divine Chocolate, which donated a hamper of fair-trade chocolate for each of the winners. Each winner also received a trophy and certificate and the overall winner - Nick Salisbury - also received a family ticket to the Greenbelt festival, worth £231.
The complete list of winners is:
Church Website of the Year
St Andrew's Church, Higher Blackley, Rochdale, Manchester
Best Christian Blog
Winner: The Sophia Network - a site for women in youth work
Highly Commended: Church Mouse - whose author wishes to remain anonymous
Unfinished Christian, David Coleman
Innovation award
Pray As You Go - A Jesuit site providing prayer and reflections to download to an MP3 player
National Church Website
The Church of England
Regional Website Award
Winner: Network Norwich and Norfolk - a website for Christians in Norfolk
Highly Commended: The Diocese of Manchester
Youth website winner
Connect Southampton
