LAST week, the Holyrood Parliament chose to mark the 75th anniversary of Citizens Advice Scotland.

CAS is a wonderful organisation that helps hundreds of thousands of people across Scotland each year with free, expert and impartial advice.

Whether it is a housing issue or a consumer complaint, a debt problem or a pension concern, CAS is there - ready, willing and able to help.

The service handled a million separate enquiries last year from more than 330,000 Scots.

Few services have such reach and fewer still do not charge for the advice they provide.

But it is the volunteers that make CAS special.

I should know, for many years my mum was one of them.

I know the value she attached to her work at the Methil branch and the importance she placed in being able to help those most in need.

It was a real community effort, which brought folk together in a common cause and I am sure the families of all other volunteers will have a similar story to tell.

Quietly going about their business, never chasing the limelight, volunteers are the lifeblood of some of our most important services.

Charities, third sector organisations, community projects, none of these could function without dedicated teams of volunteers, and CAS is no different.

Glasgow today might be very different from Glasgow in 1939 but the importance of CAS has not changed.

Their branches remain central parts of our local communities; their advice trusted and sought after in equal measure.

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting an important facility in Anniesland which was piloting a new project.

The idea was to bring solicitors in house so as to create a one-shop-stop for all legal queries.

No jumping from pillar to post, no phone call after phone call, rather it was a chance to develop an innovative, joined-up service that has the potential to quickly help those in need of advice.

In all, CAS dealt with nearly 95,000 separate issues across our city last year.

Of all the various queries, almost one in three concerned debt.

When it comes to sorting out personal finances, it is hard to overstate the importance of free, impartial, confidential advice from a trusted, independent source.

That is what CAS offers and we should recognise the hard work, expertise and care that CAS volunteers bring to that role.

So I wish everyone involved with Citizens Advice Scotland a very happy 75th anniversary.

We owe them a great deal of gratitude and it is important that we take a moment and say thank you to all those volunteers who give their time and energy to Citizens Advice Scotland.