LAST month marked the 70th anniversary of the creation of the first Citizens Advice Bureau. It opened its doors for the first time just one day after war was declared in September 1939.

The CAB service provides free confidential and impartial advice to help people resolve their problems and, in the last year alone, remarkably, CABs helped 1.9 million people to solve six million problems.

In the Staffordshire Moorlands District area we are lucky to have three CABs – in Leek, Biddulph and Cheadle – providing high quality face to face advice mainly through the generosity of trained volunteers who give up their time to advise clients, fund-raise and campaign.

During the recession, the role of the CABs has never been more vital. But, sadly, the increasing workload and immense pressure on staff and volunteers is not matched by funding.

Instead, CABs can only survive by bidding for funds for new projects to cover core running costs.

Yet, voluntary organisations link into and work with communities in ways which enable them to reach parts of society that others do not.

Paula Furnival, Moorlands district director for social care and health at Staffordshire County Council, made it clear at the recent AGM of Staffordshire Moorlands Community and Voluntary Services that the agenda is now all about the personalisation of public services.

So people can opt for direct payments to pay for their own care and support services. That is fine for those who want to control their own care. But this process must not be used to close down our highly valued Leek Day and Moorlands Day Centres.

Two years ago, the Leek Day Centre was all packed up and due to move to the new purpose built facilities at Kniveden.

But, to the county council's shame, this new £1 million centre has been mothballed with costly security guarding the premises.

It is a scandal that this expensive facility remains empty.