Dave Fishwick, the star of the hit Netflix film Bank of Dave, has been left stunned after being awarded an OBE in the King's Birthday Honours List. The honour, for services to finance, business and charity, came after he was nominated by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
From Builder's Labourer to OBE
Dave, from Burnley, has seen his incredible rags-to-riches story inspire two global Netflix films, spin-off books and even a musical that premiered in Salford last month. Reflecting on his journey, he said: "I've gone from no GCSEs to an OBE. I've gone from being a builder's labourer at 16 to building a bank and then Hollywood turned up not just once but twice."
He added: "I'm just really, really pleased and honoured. One of the things I'd like people to take from it is if a lad from Burnley who sells minibuses can do it then anyone can. It doesn't matter where you start, it's where you finish that counts."
Hard Work and Self-Belief
The self-made millionaire credits hard work for his success and often tells young people: "Qualifications are important, but they're not the end of the world. If you haven't got qualifications, there is another way. That other way is self-determination, self-belief, and just really, really working hard."
Recalling his early days, Dave said: "I left school at 16 with no qualifications whatsoever. I was straight onto a building site as a builder's labourer on the youth training scheme, which paid £27.50 a week. I used to work really hard, up and down ladders, a bucket of cement in each hand, slating roofs, tied to the chimney by a piece of old rope."
From there, he bought a car, sold it for a small profit, and moved on to one van, then two, eventually building a business selling minibuses that is now the largest supplier in the country.
A Team Effort
Dave, 55, stressed that the honour is a team effort, acknowledging his "right hand man" David Henshaw and his wife of 32 years, Nicky, who will accompany him to Buckingham Palace for the formal ceremony this summer.
He joked: "I don't even own a tie! So I'm going to have to get that sorted for when we're going to Buckingham Palace."
Dave hopes his story will inspire others, adding: "People from the north don't always get the sense that they can do it, but we can – we just don't always get the opportunities."
