Burnley Savings and Loans
IndustryFinancial services
FoundedSeptember 2011 (2011-09)
FounderDavid Fishwick
Headquarters
Burnley
,
England
Area served
Lancashire
ProductsBusiness and personal Loans
OwnerDavid Fishwick
Number of employees
10+[1]
WebsiteOfficial website

Burnley Savings and Loans (BSAL) is an independent lending company based in Burnley, England. It was founded by David Fishwick,[2] a local businessman, in 2011.[1]

The scheme gained media attention after Fishwick's early efforts were captured in a series for Channel 4 in 2012, including his call for Parliament to reform the banking system. In 2017, BSAL applied to become a UK regulated bank, "The Bank of Dave", offering an expanded range of products to a wider audience.[1]

History

During the 2007–2008 financial crisis, Dave Fishwick felt that the existing banking system needed change as he believed that traditional high street banks were not lending enough money to people or small businesses, and that they were held in a negative view by the wider population, particularly because of the 'bonus culture' that benefited the banks' employees.[1][3]

In response to this, he assembled a small team and began lending through BSAL by personally underwriting all loans and assessing the risk of each loan by studying the business models and repayment plans of his customers. Since opening, the enterprise has lent to thousands of customers, mainly centred around Lancashire and the north of England.[1][4]

After six months of trading, BSAL had returned a profit and passed it on to various charities, including local food banks and community centres.[3] The company reported that by 2022 it had given loans totalling over £27 million to thousands of businesses and people.[5]

Media coverage

BSAL has received media attention since it first opened in 2011. In July 2012, the Channel 4 series Bank of Dave was broadcast in the UK and was later aired around the world by various broadcasters.[6][7] It followed the creation of the scheme as it opened its doors to the public. In February 2013, a follow-up Scottish BAFTA winning episode named Bank of Dave: Fighting the Fat Cats was shown.[8][9][10] Fishwick's book, Bank of Dave: How I Took On the Banks, describing the venture, was also released that year.[11]

A film, Bank of Dave, based on Fishwick's efforts in setting up BSAL, was released on Netflix in 2023.[12]

Lobbying

Since the first series of the Channel 4 series aired in 2012, Fishwick has continued to lobby Parliament to reform the UK's banking system, which has received support from former Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna MP, who supported the idea of a bank looking to "serve and grow the local economy rather than just for profit and serving the shareholders".[4] Steve Baker MP, former member of the Treasury Committee, has said, "It is towards this model that the world should move".[13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "BSAL Website, About Us". Burnley Savings and Loans. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  2. ^ "Bank on Dave". David Fishwick. 26 April 2019. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2023. The Uk's Leading Supplier of Minibus & Specialist Vehicles
  3. ^ a b Collinson, Patrick (6 July 2012). "Bank on Dave: one man's crusade to help small businesses raise finance". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  4. ^ a b Kenyon, Ben (24 May 2013). "Leading MP Backs Burnley's Bank of Dave for Britain". Clitheroe Advertiser and Times. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  5. ^ "Bank of Dave: Burnley community banker at centre of Netflix biopic". BBC News. 11 February 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Factual Entertainment and Features, Programme Information: Bank Of Dave". Channel 4. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  7. ^ Frost, Caroline (17 July 2012). "TV REVIEW: The Bank Of Dave - How One Burnley Boy Brought A Little Ray Of Hope..." The Huffington Post. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  8. ^ "British Academy Scotland Awards: Winners in 2013". BAFTA Scotland. 17 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  9. ^ Mangan, Lucy (1 March 2013). "Bank of Dave: Fighting the Fat Cats; The Wedding Shop – TV review". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  10. ^ "Bank of Dave: Fighting the Fat Cats". Channel 4. 14 February 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  11. ^ Fishwick, Dave (2012). Bank of Dave: How I Took On the Banks: The Story of One Man's Heroic Attempt to Take On the Banks. Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-753-54078-7. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  12. ^ Clarke, Cath (15 January 2023). "Bank of Dave review – underdog story of an everyman v Eton poshos". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Dave Fishwick creates banking history in Burnley". Burnley Express. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
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