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One Small Candle

"It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness" - Youth-made candles to help refugee youth globally

Started by a group of HundrEDYouthAmbassadors from London, England this social enterprise raises money and awareness of child refugees globally.

Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

Web presence

2017

Established

1.2K

Children

14

Countries
Target group
All
Updated
October 2019
"We know we can make a difference to the world. We're doing it one small candle at a time."

About the innovation

"No one is too small to make a difference" Greta Thunberg

What we do?

We show young people around the world how tomake and sell high-quality candles to raise money andawareness of refugeeyoung people globally.

We have 3 free, and simple to use, resources:

1. Aneasy-to-follow instruction video ofhow to safely make and packagehigh-qualitynaturallyfragrancedsoy-waxcandles

2. A fulllist of easy-to-sourcematerials and equipment

3. A growing list ofrefugee charities to support globally

Why we do it?

We are kids doing this, to show adults how it is done.

We know it's easy

We know it works

We know anyone can do it

We believe everyone should do it.

Make a difference. One small candle at a time.

Implementation steps

Download our step-by-step guide to making & selling candles

Click on this link for full instructions to make and package these candles. https://youtu.be/ZUWc3ivbTn4

Download our easy-to-find materials & equipment list

This seems like a long list, but once you have everything then it is very easy to make and package beautiful, high quality candles.

Thanks to the support of The Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers in London www.waxchandlers.org.uk we can offer a small loan* to buy these materials to start off your fundraising.

*Up to £100 and repayable in full two months after loaned.

Here are the essential (and one optional) things you’ll need to start you off:

1. Video explainer and instructions (See stage one)

2. Materials list and Amazon U.K. source guide( too hard for us to do country by country, but Portland Education but please let us know of local suppliers, so we can upload them onto this website) See below.

3. PDF templates for the printable candle stickers (attached).

These are set up at 37mm diameter. At the moment they don't include any bleed (bleed is extra background colour that extends beyond the trim area to ensure that when they are trimmed no white areas are showing). Talk to us if you would like custom stickers relevant to your community.

4. Legally compliant ( customisable) with all the ingredients and safety symbols stickers (attached)

We can offer an optional 20 minute Q&A video conference with Jacob and friends to help with any difficulties and to encourage you to go for It to make and sell candles to help refugees in your community.

We think this is everything you’ll need for the candles. Just ask if there’s anything we’ve forgotten.

You’ll need the boxes and brown bags from www.cater4you.co.uk or similar, locally sourced:

REF/ DESCRIPTION/ QUANTITY/ PRICE/ COST

521255-C4UBiodegradable Small Food Tub / Brown Noodle Box - Required: Pack of 50

4 x £9.44 = £37.76

BB001-C4U95mm x 165mm Plain Block Bottom Bags - Required: Pack of 100

1 x £5.91 = £5.91

Subtotal£43.67

Shipping (++ Economy Service ++)£3.99

VAT£9.53

Total£57.19

We had the stickers printed at http://www.awesomemerchandise.com/Circular-35mm-Paper-Stickers

In sterling (£) each candle cost around £2 each to make and we sold them for £8 or mostly in sets of three for £20.

So, for every 60 candles we made, it cost us £120 in materials and then we grossed between £400 and £480 and made between £280 and £360 in profit.

You may be able to source materials cheaper locally, but here they are on AmazonUK for reference.

You’ll also know what kind of price people will pay in other parts of the world. Jacob & friends' candles look similar to ones which cost £50 (!) each from Jo Malone in London. https://m.jomalone.co.uk/product/3560/10082/for-the-home/home-candles/pomegranate-noir-home-candle

Everything (apart from the scouring pads) is the ecological version where we had a choice. ie soy wax is the most eco choice.

The ‘legally compliant’ safety stickers which go on the base of the boxes. They have all the correct legal wording on them in addition to the round safety stickers which go on the bottom of the glass.

These stickers go with the product insurance that covers you against anyone buying a candle and then suing you for a faulty product if their house burns down.

You’ll need to add the maker’s adults home one to be fully compliant.Check what the rules are in your country.

The product liability insurance was from www.craftcover.com. We sold hundreds of candles in 2017 without it, but once someone pointed out it was illegal to sell them in the UK without it we spent the £100 on specialist product insurance for candles, to cover us up to £1,000,000 for any candles we sell in a year. It helped us not to worry about the risk. In theory, if someone’s house burnt down and they blamed a faulty candle, they could claim against the maker, even if it was a child.

The glasses are straight sided drinking glasses with thick, not thin, glass from the cheapest place you can get them. We get 4 four for £1 in the ‘Pound Shops’ around London. If they are not straight or thick, there is a danger the heat from the wick will crack the glass. Especially if the wick is off-centre and too close to the glass.

Mouldmaster Soy Pillar Candle Wax... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072FNZK2K?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

10kg of wax makes about 60 candles if you’re careful not to spill too much.

150mm Long Candle Wicks White... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07BN5WW2Y?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

TOOGOO(R) 5pcs DIY Light Metal... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077ZKX8QG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Naissance Lemongrassessential oil (Flexuosus)... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B010VRZJMK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Mystic Moments | Orange Sweet essential oil ... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0050K3JYE?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Mystic Moments | Clove Bud essential oil .. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00449G7L4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Spontex Specialist General Purpose Sponge Scourer (Pack of 6) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JSMK1I2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HPqrCbPCPR9EH

Candle Instruction - Warning Labels 35mm Round (100) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01JUKXJ44/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_iHqrCbJ6MP1HW

240 Sheets of Black MG Tissue Paper 20x30 Inches, acid Free. Craft colour paper. All colours and quantities of sheets listed Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CMZ1F96/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_O5wrM96f7m5g9

Berisfords black ribbon 41025 20m x 10 mm... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007L5M4CY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Good luck!

Find a refugee charity to support in your area

Since 2017 we have supported London-based refugee charity www.graceaid.org.uk.

Help us add to the list of charities and NGOs that you can support with candle-making in your communities around the world.

https://www.redcross.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/international/europe-refugee-crisis

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