Solar Buddies, the roll-on mess free sunscreen applicators, invented by two Cwmbran mothers has been awarded two business awards in one week.

Kelli Aspland and Laura Griffin invented Solar Buddies as they were concerned about how their children were being protected from the sun while at school. They wanted to make a product which would help children independently apply sunscreen and came up with Solar Buddies.

Kelli and Laura were awarded the new product award at the Business and Education awards for their work with product design students at Cardiff Metropolitan University. The firm also picked up the start-up award at the Entrepreneur Wales Awards.

This tops off a bumper year for the Solar Buddies directors. They have secured their first major retailer in JoJo Maman Bebe, have distributors in Australia and Ireland, and also won the innovation award at the South Wales Business Growth Awards.

Laura said: “Starting any new business is really difficult, there are ups and downs and times when it is all going great and times where you wonder why you ever started your own business.

“But to win three awards in our first year of business is amazing and validates our Solar Buddies concept and makes all of the hard work worth it.”

Kelli added: “It is still early days for Solar Buddies as we have lots more plans to expand and grow the business and winning awards like this spur us on even more.

“We think our product is great and it’s wonderful that so many of our business peers agree with us. We can’t wait to see what 2017 holds.”

Solar Buddies won the Business and Education Award for its collaboration with Cardiff Metropolitan University. The University helped Kelli and Laura with the ergonomic design for the Solar Buddies when they were in development stages.