River Capital backs Cumbria's Lakeland Lights with £35,000 NPIF II investment
River Capital has provided a £35,000 loan to Lakeland Lights Company Ltd, a luxury soy candle and home fragrance brand based in Cleator Moor, West Cumbria, through NPIF II – River Capital & GC Business Finance Smaller Loans, managed by River Capital & GC Business Finance as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.
The investment will help the business accelerate the launch of two new regional product collections and expand production of its flagship Advent Calendar range.
Founded in 2019 by husband and wife directors James Long and Joanna Iles, Lakeland Lights has grown from a home-based start-up to a commercial manufacturing operation generating six figures in annual turnover and representing consistent year-on-year revenue growth of 30–40% over seven years.
The business employs six people, including both directors, and manufactures all products in-house at its three Phoenix Court workshops in Cleator Moor.
Every Lakeland Lights product is named after a specific real place and accompanied by an original scent story connecting the fragrance to the landscape, history or character of that location and the brand’s catalogue now spans over 60 products across candles, wax melts, room sprays and seasonal collections.
The business has grown its stockist network to more than 60 independent retailers across Cumbria and a growing national direct-to-consumer operation via its own website.
The NPIF II funding will be allocated across three areas: stock investment for the launch of new Newcastle and Yorkshire regional ranges targeting independent retailers, visitor attractions and department stores; expanded production and packaging development for the 2026 Advent Calendar collection, and targeted marketing to support wholesale stockist acquisition in the new regions.
The Advent Calendar range has become the business’s single largest revenue event with production targets being significantly increased.
The investment is expected to support the creation of 8–10 new jobs and James and Joanna are also exploring apprenticeship opportunities in partnership with the University of Cumbria.
All staff are recruited locally, and the business has raised more than £6,000 for West Cumbrian causes including Hospice at Home West Cumbria and Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team.
James Long, Director of Lakeland Lights, said:
“We’ve built the business entirely on cashflow from day one, and that discipline has served us well, but as we move into new regions and scale the Advent Calendar, the spring investment window comes before the autumn revenue that would normally fund it. The NPIF II facility means we can bring that investment forward, launch Newcastle and Yorkshire properly, and go into our peak season with the preparation it deserves.”
Jonathan Nelson, Investment Manager at River Capital, said: “Lakeland Lights is exactly the kind of business NPIF II is designed to support — founder-led, genuinely differentiated, and profitable with a clear pathway to scale. James and Joanna have built something distinctive in a competitive market: a product rooted in place and story that their customers and stockists respond to in a way that generic brands simply can’t replicate. We’re pleased to be part of the next chapter.”
Sue Barnard, Senior Investment Manager at British Business Bank, said: “Lakeland Lights is a great example of a business building on strong local roots to create jobs, support its community and bring a distinctive regional product to a wider market.
“Through NPIF II, we are committed to supporting founders in hard-to-reach areas and supporting them to accelerate their growth plans and create further employment opportunities.”
The £660m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIFII) covers the entire North of England and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.
The purpose of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the North of England. The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for the North’s smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance.
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