Dragons Den's Deborah Meadon visits Solar Buddies, Cwmbran

Earlier this year entrepreneurs Kelli Aspland and Laura Waters were featured on the BBC1 programme to pitch Solar Buddies, a product that makes it easy for children to apply sunscreen themselves.

Earlier this month the pair were jointly named Business Person of the Year in the South Wales Argus Business Awards.

It was a business idea they came up with while chatting on the school run outside the town’s St David’s RC Primary School.

Ms Meaden and fellow Dragon Peter Jones each agreed to invest £40,000 each for a ten per cent share.

(L-R) Kelli Aspland, Deborah Meaden and Laura Waters. Picture: Solar Buddies/Cwmbran Life (Image: Solar Buddies/Cwmbran Life)

Mrs Waters told Cwmbran Life: “I said to her, ‘you can always pop down to Solar Buddies’ and she emailed back to say she was free on Monday, November 13.”

Mrs Waters' husband Gareth picked Ms Meaden up from Newport railway station and drove her to the Solar Buddies unit on the Avondale Industrial Estate.

Mrs Waters added: “We showed her around the unit, which she was really impressed with, and met all the staff who also impressed her.

"We thrashed out ideas for two hours.

"It was interesting and really insightful.

"She was very helpful.

"She’s putting us in touch with lots of different people. It was a really good meeting. She was very down-to-earth and friendly.“

"It was nice to meet and then have lunch.

"We spent the whole time talking about work, not small talk.

"I wanted her to meet my stepdad, Martin Turner, because he was the first person to invest in us.

Laura Waters' stepfather Martin Turner- who was the first to invest in Solar Buddies - meets Deborah Meaden. Picture: Solar Buddies/Cwmbran Life (Image: Solar Buddies/Cwmbran Life)

She said to him ‘thank you very much for taking the risk’.

"She’s going to help us get into retail in America, Europe and Australia. There are a lot of plans coming.”

Following the visit, Ms Meaden said: “Kelli and Laura are smart, highly effective and very hard working.

"They came up with a brilliant idea, took all the right steps to get Solar Buddies produced and into the market and the market love it!

"That is pure entrepreneurialism and should inspire all those others with great ideas to get on and do it. Peter and I are delighted with our investment and watch this space, with these entrepreneurs you know there is more to come.”