Rory Kinnear and Dave Fishwick (Image: Getty Images)
Bank of Dave: The Loan Ranger, now streaming on Netflix, chronicles the inspiring journey of entrepreneur Dave Fishwick who established his own community bank under the banner “Bank on Dave”. Dave, proprietor of David Fishwick Minibus Sales, embarked on this transformative endeavour when he noticed that mainstream banks were not providing loans to his clients following the economic downturn.
The real-life Dave Fishwick, a 53 year old Lancashire native, launched the bank in 2011. However, it’s officially named Burnley Savings and Loans, not Bank of Dave.
Despite its continued success and operation, it isn’t formally recognised as a UK registered bank.
This status means there are restrictions on the amount customers can deposit. The independent lending firm came into the spotlight in 2012 after Dave advocated for a reform of the banking system in Parliament.
In 2017, he sought official banking status to expand the range of products and services offered. Since its inception, the venture has provided loans to thousands of customers, reports .
Dave Fishwick’s business is still going strong (Image: ExpressStar)
By 2022, it had disbursed loans exceeding £27 million and expanded from a modest team of three to a large, flourishing workforce.
The company provides a variety of services, including vehicle financing, business loans, mortgages, and credit cards.
Dave continues to manage his minibus business alongside the bank, demonstrating his remarkable ability to balance multiple ventures simultaneously.
The website proclaims: “The company (BASL) continues to make decisions based on experience and good, old fashioned common sense, making a difference to small businesses and real people, helping a large number of different charities and good causes along the way.”
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Burnley Savings and Loans (BSAL) founder Dave Fishwick (Image: Tim Merry / Daily Mirror)
Dave uses his media influence to push for key reforms, as noted on the site: “Through his media profile, Dave has continued to lobby parliament to make changes to the banking industry and help educate the general public to improve their finances.”
The website emphasizes Dave’s conviction: “He firmly believes that BSAL is the future, and wants to prove that the financial industry can also be socially responsible.”
Regarding the developments at BASL: “Currently BSAL is applying to become a UK regulated bank; The Bank of Dave; a bank for the community, by the community, offering an expanded range of products to an expanded audience.”
Inspired by his journey, “Bank of Dave 2” draws from the Channel 4 documentary “Dave Fishwick: Loan Ranger,” which was broadcasted back in 2014.