Burnley Savings and Loans founder Dave Fishwick (Image: Tim Merry / Daily Mirror)
Bank of Dave: The Loan Ranger has become a hit on , with Rory Kinnear portraying Dave Fishwick in his crusade against unscrupulous payday lenders. The series draws inspiration from the true story of 53-year-old Lancashire entrepreneur Dave Fishwick.
Fishwick, who left school at 16 without any formal qualifications, founded David Fishwick Minibus Sales and grew it into Britain’s largest supplier. Post the 2007-2008 financial crisis, he noticed that major banks stopped providing loans to his customers.
In response, he established Burnley Savings and Loans, famously marketed as “Bank on Dave”, which began operations in 2011 as an independent lender.
By 2017, Fishwick sought to transform his venture into a fully-fledged UK regulated bank, aiming to broaden his product offerings. However, despite what the films suggest, his establishment has not yet achieved official bank status.
Currently, Burnley Savings and Loans continues its quest for UK banking regulation. Fishwick told The Guardian about a warning from a City insider: “if I use the word deposit or say I’m a bank then I will go to prison”, reports .
Rory Kinnear plays Dave Fishwick (Image: BBC)
Contrary to the cinematic portrayal, his operation remains an independent lending firm with a cap on customer deposits.
Nevertheless, Dave’s significant contributions to the community cannot be overlooked, having lent over £30 million to those in need.
As portrayed in the film, the company maintains its commitment to charity, with all profits being donated to local causes.
On the firm’s official site, Dave proudly announced a partnership with the Vulnerability Registration Service, stating: “Burnley Savings and Loans will now be able to search the VRS database to find out which of their existing or potential customers are vulnerable, and what their vulnerabilities are.”
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Bank of Dave: The Loan Ranger sees Dave tackle payday lenders (Image: NETFLIX)
He explained the benefits of this collaboration: “They’ll be able to use this information to adapt their approach appropriately, and communicate with that person accordingly.”
Dave expressed his enthusiasm about the new alliance: “Burnley Savings and Loans Ltd are pleased to be associated with the excellent Vulnerability Registration Service, who help protect vulnerable people.”
He further emphasised the company’s ethos: “Burnley Savings and Loans Ltd are consumer centric, and as an ethical business, we believe we have a duty to act in the very best interests of our customers at all times.”
The company has seen significant growth since its inception, expanding from a trio of employees to a robust team with dedicated office space in Burnley.
Leveraging his public platform, Dave continues to advocate for banking reform in parliament and educates individuals on enhancing their business acumen and financial health.