'Bank of Dave boss Dave Fishwick walked into my new post office and helped transform it'
A village postmistress was able to give her new business a first-class boost after ‘Bank of Dave’ founder Dave Fishwick popped in - and ended up arranging a loan for her fledgling venture.
Stefanie Dalglish took over Sabden Post Office in November, along with her 20-year-old son Jasper - but the pair were short of the cash they needed to give the shop a facelift and broaden its stock.
However, all that changed after local resident Dave - known for creating his community bank and investigating the payday lending industry - came in as a customer. He and Stefanie began brainstorming some ideas about how she could improve the Ribble Valley outlet in the run-up to Christmas.
The chat resulted in her borrowing money from Burnley Savings and Loans - nicknamed the Bank of Dave after its Burnley-born boss - which she used to spruce up the shop and expand its product range.
“Both Dave and [his wife] Nicky…have been very helpful,” explained Stefanie, who is also originally from Burnley.
“They wanted to assist me so that I could afford to invest in the Post Office and shop to keep this much-needed business for the community. Their advice will help make the shop financially viable - Dave put me in touch with a financial advisor and an accountant.”
Stefanie used some of the loan money to invest in a balloon range, having run a successful balloon business in Australia, where she had lived for the past 23 years. The front of the shop - now named Sabden Village Nook Post Office - was also revamped so that it could show off fresh window displays.
It all came as Dave was preparing for the release of the second film about his own life in the world of banking and money-lending - Bank of Dave 2: The Loan Ranger. Much to her surprise, Stefanie later got an invite to the premiere earlier this month.
“It was very exciting - we had a great time. I love the work that Dave is doing for Burnley - not just for…helping small businesses like mine, but also giving the people of Burnley something to be proud of,” she said.
Stefanie and Jasper are now looking forward to making the most of their new business - and serving the locals who rely on it.
“I had settled in Australia and now my lifestyle has completely changed - but I’m really enjoying it. I never imagined having a post office, but it all fits so perfectly
“It’s great to have my own shop and Jasper working alongside me. We are people people – we love chatting to the customers and being at the heart of this community.
“Now that the busy Christmas period is out of the way, we will continue to see what other improvements we can make, including adding a coffee machine.
“We will also continue to spread the word about the services that we provide. With so many bank branch closures, Sabden Post Office is the local bank,” Stefanie said.