Torfaen business owner, Debbie Gliniany, has earned herself a place in the final line-up of The Mpower National Business Awards. These are awards that celebrate parents throughout the UK who manage the difficult task of juggling business with family life.
Founder of Yoyo Parties, mother of two from Cwmbran, Debbie runs Little Soldiers Bootcamp birthday parties, alongside her husband and Royal Engineers veteran, Robert Gliniany, who is better known as the formidable ‘Sergeant Rob’. The two-hour parties consist of military-themed activities including an obstacle course, team games, marching lessons and end with a tug of war with the parents.
Debbie said “I am delighted to have been recognised for these awards. It hasn’t been easy working full-time, running a business on the side and raising two young children but I’ve always been career-focussed and want to set an example to my children that hard work pays off- and this certainly makes me feel like it has!”
Debbie has been shortlisted for the ‘Vision’ category as her initial aim was to help her husband, who had, at that time, been made redundant from the army. He was suffering, like many ex-soldiers, with post-traumatic stress disorder and was unsure how to adjust to civilian life after 14 years with the Royal Engineers, touring active war zones such as Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Running the parties, has allowed him to feel a part of the local community whilst still being able to use the skills he learned during his military career and has even led him to his new career path, he is now studying full-time at the University of South Wales to become a comprehensive school teacher.
As well as being shortlisted for this category, Debbie is also in with a chance of winning the title of Mpower Woman Of The Year 2019, which will be awarded to the mum who is an inspiration to all women in business, and could walk away with a fantastic prize of a scholarship on the Mpower Business Accelerator (M.B.A.) programme.
Nicola Huelin, multi-award winning business coach, founder of the Mpower awards, and mum to four children with her partner Graham, said: “There are a lot of awards out there, and we are proud about what makes these awards, and the women who enter, different. We are so proud of all these women who are changing the business landscape while raising and inspiring the generations of the future.
“We believe their efforts and successes in overcoming the unique challenges of combining business and motherhood, particularly in those first few years when it’s the hardest, deserve to be recognised and celebrated.”
Judging Debbie’s entry will be a panel of top parent entrepreneurs but she’ll have to wait until 29 June, when the winners will be announced at The Mpower Gala, being held at the VOX Conference Centre in Birmingham.
The awards are open to all entrepreneurs and business owners for an evening of networking, inspiration and celebration. Tickets can be purchased through the Mpower website, where you’ll find a range of resources and information for mums in business www.mpowerawards.com