A WOMAN who balances a high- flying business career with family life has been nominated as Mum of the Year.

Huddersfield-born Kate Hardcastle, 36, is much in demand nationally and internationally as a business consultant.

She also combines her hectic working life with extensive charity fundraising, yet still finds precious time for husband Matt and daughter Nya aged three.

Now she has been shortlisted for the prestigious Tesco Mum of the Year Awards 2013.

The awards will be announced at a ceremony at The Savoy in London in March.

Kate, who set up Huddersfield-based marketing company Insight with Passion with partner Richard Gomersall has won a string of business awards.

But she has not been nominated for anything like this before.

"I am genuinely touched," she said. "It’s wonderful."

Kate was nominated by colleague Jenny Tomlinson for her dedicated support for local and national charities.

Her story was selected from thousands of nominations from across the UK.

Having built a successful career advising companies on how to revitalise their businesses, Kate decided to take a leap of faith in 2009 and set up her own firm.

She decided that the company should make a difference to the lives of others and dedicated 20% of the staff’s time, energy and resources to charities and community projects close to her heart, including the Next Step Trust and Endometriosis UK, a disease that Kate personally suffers from.

Prior to this, in 2007, Kate had also set up her own charity, Dreamgirls, which brings together voluntary members to support and raise funds for lesser-known charities.

When describing Kate, Jenny said: "Kate is passionate, dedicated and a loving mum who would do anything for her daughter, but also works to improve the lives of many others every day."

Next year will be the eighth year of the Tesco Mum of the Year Awards. The glamorous red carpet ceremony, which attracts a host of celebrity guests, will celebrate inspirational mums from all over the UK.

If Kate is selected as one of the winning mums, she will be treated to a full makeover and her own Tesco magazine photo shoot before being presented with her award in front of friends, family and celebrity guests.

Tesco communications director Paul Morris said the awards recognised some inspirational women and added: "Our aim is to show every single mum who has been nominated just how amazing she is."

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