A Swansea businesswoman has attended a special reception hosted by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to recognise the contribution of small businesses to the economy, society and communities.
Tyra Oseng-Rees, founder and director of Oseng-Rees Reflection Ltd, attended the event which brought together winners and finalists of The Small Awards. This annual awards showcase is organised by Small Business Britain and celebrates the UK’s ‘smallest and greatest’ businesses.
The event featured more than 40 small businesses, from micro-businesses and family businesses, to start-ups and high street heroes.
Tyra was a finalist in the Small Awards’ Net Hero category for best sustainability-focused business, which recognises a small business with an exceptional commitment to environmental sustainability.
As a Net Hero finalist, Oseng-Rees Reflection Ltd was shortlisted for its pioneering work in sustainability and circular design. The company transforms demolition materials into low-carbon, high-impact installations.
Their award-winning cladding of the Grade II listed Buttermarket in Cornwall, featuring 800 recycled glass tiles, won the 2025 Surface Design Award for Exterior Surface of the Year.
The company’s work was also recently featured in Business News Wales, highlighting how glass from the former Newport Centre was repurposed into a new architectural installation.
Tyra said:
“Getting invited to Downing Street was a real surprise, and a boost. As someone running a small business built on sustainability and creative thinking, it meant a lot to be in the room where big decisions happen. It showed me that voices like mine, focused on doing things differently and better for the planet, are starting to be noticed. I believe real change starts when we show up with honesty, ideas, and the guts to do things differently.”
Michelle Ovens CBE, Founder of Small Business Britain, said:
“Small businesses are the heart and soul of their communities and contribute massively to the UK economy,”
“It is fantastic to see the stellar achievements of Tyra recognised by the Chancellor and the Treasury in this way, at such a special event. It is so important that the whole nation gets behind small businesses and give them all the support they need.”
