Jo, Luke, George and Josh have what it takes to back-flip a BMX off a hair-raising ramp at Skaterham but it took a different kind of bravery to don a smart suit and tie and talk to a crowd of High Sheriffs and Mayors.

The reason for the huge congregation of Surrey civic dignitaries at ExxonMobil in Leatherhead was the 21^st anniversary celebration for the High Sheriff Youth Awards. And the young bikers left the audience in no doubt about the importance of HSYA support for this successful youth project in Caterham.

The HSYA was launched by then High Sheriff Sir Peter Anson in 1993 to help lift young people in areas of identified need across Surrey out of boredom and anti-social behaviour by supporting positive youth projects.

Guests at the celebration included 14 former High Sheriffs, including Sir Peter, so it was a very ‘big ask’ for seven youth groups including Skaterham to get up on stage and make presentations to them. But they did it, proving through the demonstration of new skills and moving personal testimonials the enormous value of the award scheme in supporting their projects.

The scheme was launched in 1993, when Sir Peter Anson, conceived the idea of encouraging young people to present their plans for reducing crime and to award prizes at a prestigious ceremony.

Since then, the HSYA has channelled tens of thousands of pounds into projects that give young people the opportunity to play sport, develop hobbies, grow in personal confidence, create safer communities and become good citizens. The awards are now made on the basis of assessment by the High Sheriff Youth Awards Council and the scheme has been an outstanding success.

Sir Peter’s vision, perpetuated by successive High Sheriffs in Surrey, immediately struck a chord with one of Surrey’s major corporations: ExxonMobil has hosted all bar one of the annual celebrations of the year’s crop of projects funded by HSYA grants, at its head office in Leatherhead.

Robert Lanyon, ExxonMobil Regional Director for Public & Government Affairs, paid tribute to the volunteers who made the scheme work, and said: “I salute these tremendous young people of Surrey who stand out from the crowd and make a difference.”

Introducing Skaterham, former High Sheriff Sally Varah said occasionally the HSYA found a project that did such imaginative work and motivated so many otherwise ‘hard to reach’ young people that it awarded grants again and again as activities expanded.

“Skaterham started out as a skatepark but rapidly morphed into so much more,” she said. “The initial grants the HSYA made gave it ‘that extra oomph’ and the project now has an active membership of 6,000 young people with 13 different sessions each week.”

The 2013 HSYA grant again supported the annual residential week in Cornwall and Darren Barnes Skaterham manager explained the importance of the trip and the project’s other ventures including arts and crafts sessions, a DJ booth and homework club. The boys described how they made friends and helped each other learn new skills. “A lot of us come here off the streets,” said one, “It’s like a family, everyone coaches each other,” said another.

The stage presentations included a guitar duet by students from Esher High School, outreach work by the Army Cadet Force, inclusive karate at Walton Youth Centre, motor mechanics at GASP, a puppet play by the Over the Top Theatre Company and dance and football from Longmeadz Kickn at Epsom.

Other projects that received HSYA funding in 2013-14 including Eikon; Reflex Woking; YMCA Redhill; Surrey Care Trust; Relate West Surrey and Surrey Youth Focus, manned stands explaining the work they do for young people.