Entrepreneur Dave Fishwick, the inspiration behind Netflix's Bank of Dave film, has credited self-belief and determination as the driving forces behind his success after being made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
From Humble Beginnings
Fishwick was raised in a working-class family in Nelson, Lancashire, before amassing his fortune through minibus sales and subsequently establishing an independent lending firm to help people in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
Upon learning of his inclusion in the King's Birthday Honours list on Friday, the 55-year-old businessman-turned-philanthropist said: "It's just wonderful that His Majesty the King has spent some time looking at what we've been doing and seen fit to award us an OBE. It's just unbelievable. And from a lad from Burnley, who set off with absolutely no qualifications whatsoever – I left school at 16, absolutely useless."
Early Struggles and Determination
Upon leaving school, Mr Fishwick had little option but to head straight into labouring on building sites for just under £30 a week. He kept three jobs on the go simultaneously, selling clothes at Smithfield Market in Manchester each morning, working on building sites during the day, and spinning records at nightclubs in the evenings.
Mr Fishwick harboured ambitions of working with cars, but couldn't stretch to even a gallon of petrol. Undeterred, he toured dozens of garages seeking old part-exchange vehicles he could take away, renovate and sell, retaining a share of the proceeds.
"I did it again and again, and that just shows sometimes you've got to think outside the box, because you can start with absolutely nothing, and it's not where you start that matters, it's where you finish that counts," he told the Press Association. "This award from the King just shows that if you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything, and you can come from the north, you really can come from the north of England and still have opportunities like lots of people do in the south."
Services to Finance and Charity
He was honoured with his OBE for services to finance, business and charitable causes. Mr Fishwick established Burnley Saving and Loans in 2011, with the tale of its success and his investigations into loan sharks forming the basis of 2023's Bank of Dave, featuring Rory Kinnear, alongside its 2025 follow-up Bank of Dave 2: The Loan Ranger.
"If Dave from Burnley with absolutely nothing can make it happen, then you can too," he said. "So it's really important that we get the message out that if you put your mind to it, self-belief, determination."
The proceeds from Burnley Savings and Loans, which operates under the tagline "Bank on Dave", support worthy causes, predominantly throughout Lancashire.
Future Endeavours
Mr Fishwick attributes his ongoing achievements to his "right-hand man" David Henshaw, his wife Nicky and the production team behind Bank of Dave, as he embarks on fresh ventures, including becoming ambassador for 6,000 community banks across America.
When questioned about his future plans, Mr Fishwick expressed his desire to maintain his advocacy work and distribute financial guidance. He also revealed he had been approached to appear on Strictly Come Dancing – though confessed he has no dancing ability whatsoever.
"I've been offered the jungle (I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!) and lots of other things, but that's not something I'd want to do," he said. "But the dancing, I'm thinking maybe next time, because that just sounds fun, doesn't it?"
