A SPECIAL debate is to be held by MSPs to mark 80 years of the Citizens Advice network in Scotland.

The members debate, led by Labour’s Anas Sarwar, will follow the launch of a new video from Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) aimed at encouraging more people to volunteer at their local bureau and to seek out help if they need it.

The video, which will be promoted on social media feeds, features contributions from staff, volunteers and expert commentators and looks at the work the network does in providing advice and advocacy for the people of Scotland.

Hundreds of thousands of people are helped every year by CAS bureaux, which are mainly staffed by volunteers – more than 2370 people contributed more than 760,000 hours of their time in 2018-19 alone.

CAS chief executive Derek Mitchell said: “The aspiration for us is that we continue to change people’s lives on a daily basis and positively affect the outcomes that they get from governments and agencies.

“Our video is a thank you to the extraordinary work our volunteers do, but also to highlight our services to people who need them.

“Anyone who needs free, confidential and impartial advice can speak to their local bureau.”