On Saturday lunchtime (8 July) the United Reformed Church General Assembly celebrated the work of the four initiatives commended in its Community Project Awards scheme, which is sponsored by the church insurer, Congregational & General. The awards are granted every two years, recognising the outstanding community impact of faith-led initiatives.

The overall winner of the 2016 Community Project Awards is Families Matter, a group based at Cornerstone URC in Hythe, Hampshire, that provides a range of practical support for families, including parenting classes. At the Assembly, representatives from the initiative – the Revd Eddie Boon, Cornerstone URC's minister, and Julia Cross, Project Manager – were presented with the winners plaque as well as a cheque for £4,000.

The General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, the denomination's executive body, meets from 8 to 11 July at Southport Convention Centre to consider and decide on a range of issues including the marriage of same-sex couples.

The URC's General Assembly meets every two years to celebrate, discuss, and make decisions on the life and work of the URC.

Assembly's first task will be the induction of the new Moderators of General Assembly – the Revd Kevin Watson and Mr Alan Yates – for a two-year term of service. Moderators are the URC's figureheads, chairing major meetings and representing the denomination internally, at home and abroad.

The United Reformed Church General Assembly meets from 8 to 11 July 2016 at the Southport Convention Centre in Merseyside.

Follow news and reports from General Assembly as it happens: visit the news section, the URC Facebook page and our Twitter feed where you can follow discussions using the #URCGA16 hashtag.