Bank of Dave

Has anyone watched this programme about Dave Fishwick? He's a Burnley entrepreneur who wants to help his local community to regenerate by lending money to small businesses that can't get the help they need from the big banks. He doesn't want to make a profit, so any excess is given to local charities. This week showed him speaking to politicians like Alastair Campbell and Vince Cable, trying to get changes from the FSA so he could operate a savings and loan business without need a bank licence. He's a great risk-taker, but his loans are underwritten and he's become the champion of the people in his community. The question being posed as a result of his venture is can small banks like Dave's operate successfully without paying our fatcat bonuses? His does so far.

When he got his accounts, that showed he had more than £9,000 profit, he remarked that as one major bank ended their year 2 billion pounds in the red, he was therefore 2 billion, 9 thousand better off than them!