Candles handmade in Milton Keynes are posted on social media by string of celebrities

An MK businesswoman's handmade candles have gone viral on social media after being posted by a string of celebrities following a charity campaign.

Carly Parkins is the owner and founder of Carly’s Candle Company, an online business that operates out of her home in Blakelands.

She created 100 bespoke candles for Shine A Light, an awareness campaign from by Brain Tumour Research which took place on Friday.

It called on those affected by brain tumours to light a candle and share a photo on social media using the hashtag #ShineALight.

They were lit by celebrities such as American record producer Nile Rodgers and English pop bands McFly and Scouting For Girls.

Around half of the candles hand-poured and gifted by Carly were sent to celebrities who have been affected by brain tumours.

These included singers Alfie Boe, Sharleen Spiteri and Suzi Quatro, Bridgeton actress Adjoa Andoh, Netflix star Craig Russell, Chelsea Footballer Ben Chilwell, comedian Miles Jupp and Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth champion Victoria Pendleton as well as TV personalities like Charlotte Crosby and Kady McDermott.

Craig Russell, who played Marc Antony in Netflix’s Queen Cleopatra and was diagnosed with a low-grade meningioma in February last year, also posted a video.

He appealed to his Instagram and Twitter followers to join him, saying: “Despite the fact that one in three of us will know someone affected by a brain tumour, just 1% of all cancer research funding will go towards finding out more about brain tumours, and we can change this. This time last year, I had a brain tumour removed, but I’m one of the lucky ones, and hopefully, with your help, there’ll be lots of lucky ones.”

Carly said: “My dad died of lung cancer in 2022 and although I know that’s not brain cancer, it does mean I know the heartache of waiting for test results only to be told there’s nothing that can be done.

“I know what it is to lose a loved one and I understand the pain and helplessness felt by many brain tumour families, which is why I was so keen to get involved in this campaign. It was amazing to see how many celebrities leant their support to it.”

Carly started making candles in 2019, soon after giving birth to her son Leo.

The mum-of-two said: “I had a silent miscarriage prior to falling pregnant with Leo and became kind of obsessed with the toxins being released in my home from things like candles. I started looking into it and thought it would be safer to make my own.

“Then my friends began wanting to buy them, which is when things started to take off, but it was the pandemic in 2020 that really catapulted my business.”

The candles are cruelty free, made of sustainable soy wax and finished with a coating-free wood wick. And Carly even uses biodegradable labels containing seeds.

She said: “All you have to do is take the label off your candle, pop it in some soil and water it.”

Charlie Allsebrook from Brain Tumour Research, said: “Carly’s candles looked and smelt amazing; it was great to see them being lit up across social media for Shine A Light”