HASLEMERE Travel awarded a special prize to the overall winner of its 2018 Surrey Young Superstars Awards.

The 2018 Surrey Superstar Isla Morrison, 14, who also won the Courageous Superstar category, was unable to attend Sunday’s awards ceremony because she didn’t want to let her friends down by not going on her Silver Duke of Edinburgh training in Exmoor.

Determined not to let Isla down, Haslemere Travel owner Gemma Antrobus, who founded the competition to recognise deserving young people in the county aged seven to 19, laid on a special presentation at the town centre shop on Tuesday.

Gemma said: “We were delighted to give Isla her two special Surrey Young Superstars awards in a private ceremony at the shop.

“The judges were highly impressed by her courage and fortitude, and the fact that she sadly missed the official awards ceremony because she was walking and camping on the moors of Exmoor with her team says a great deal about this remarkable young woman.

“Now in their sixth year, once again Surrey Young Superstars were a wonderful showcase for deserving young people in Surrey – demonstrating their community spirit, unsung bravery and hard work. The judges were hugely impressed by the entries received – especially in the volunteering and community categories.

“The Haslemere Travel team wishes many congratulations to all of the very worthy winners.”

Isla said: “ I’d like to thank my friends and family for supporting me through everything in the past year and my school, Sir William Perkins, for being so understanding and making everything comfortable for me when I came back to school.

“I would also like to thank the sponsors Haslemere Travel for my award. I hope to continue raising awareness of scoliosis in the future and to encourage and support those who are still struggling with this condition.”

Surrey Lord-Lieutenant Michael More-Molyneux, presented the awards which support of Surrey Youth Focus and are sponsored by NatWest bank, at Guildford Harbour Hotel.

Other category winners were:–

•Fundraising Superstar (5-12): Hinchley Wood Primary School

•Joint Fundraising Superstars (13-19): Alice Kerby, aged 19, Year 13, Gordon’s School

•Volunteering Superstar: Phoebe Walker-Gubbins (17)

•Community Superstar: Morgana Condorelli and Emerald Hayes (both 12).