THAT cracking noise was the sound of hell freezing over.

Words I never thought I would utter have fallen from my lips: "David Cameron does raise some pertinent points on volunteering ..."

I should perhaps frame this in context. I'm talking about Conservative plans unveiled in recent days that propose half of the UK workforce should be given three days' paid leave each year to volunteer.

Every public sector worker and anyone employed by a company with at least 250 employees - more than 15 million people in total - would be entitled to the volunteering leave.

Among those to publicly back the idea is adventurer and television presenter, Bear Grylls - the Scouts Association's chief scout - who said he believed it would nurture "solid communities". Mr Cameron similarly claimed the plan would help to "build a stronger society".

Labour, however, has been scathing as to where the funding would come from. Lisa Nandy, the shadow minister for civil society, voiced concern that, if even half of public sector workers took up the offer, it would be the time equivalent of around 2,000 nurses, 800 police and almost 3,000 teachers, running into millions of pounds. Some estimates have put the cost as high £1billion in the public sector alone.

With rose-tinted spectacles off (and my unicorn safely stabled) paid leave for volunteering is a swell idea, but it is no more likely to materialise than Mr Cameron announcing he's jacking in politics to join One Direction/present Top Gear/be the next Doctor Who (delete as applicable).

Getting down to brass tacks, it smacks of a glaringly desperate attempt to resuscitate Mr Cameron's ailing rhetoric on the "Big Society" - his favoured buzz phrase from the 2010 election.

You can almost picture Tory aides outside at the bins, elbows deep in soggy potato peelings and other unmentionables, frantically dusting off the narrative on Big Society (here-on in known as BS).

Alongside the unfortunate fashion trend for double denim and the pesky Volcanic ash cloud that grounded thousands of planes across Europe, some things are best left in 2010.

What it does bring into sharp focus, however, is just how dependent - arguably even more so in recent years - that the country has become on its army of volunteers.

I have covered a fair amount of sport for this newspaper and the thing that always strikes me is the sheer number of ordinary Scots who give up their time for free to not only make these events a success, but to ensure they happen at all.

You can find them in action 52 weeks of the year, the length and breadth of the country. While we lesser mortals are sitting with our feet up, idly chewing a croissant on a weekend morning, they are braving howling winds and up to their knees in mud, marshalling, logging scores and clocking times, handing out water and patching up bumps and bruises.

When Glasgow welcomed the 2014 Commonwealth Games last summer there were three stars of the show: the athletes, the city itself and the 15000 doggedly enthusiastic Clyde-siders that hosted the hell out of the event.

Nor is this a phenomenon unique to sport. The Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow is currently holding recruitment evenings in a bid to find new volunteers.

Organisers of the Kiltwalk, which over the past three years has given £2.4 million to Scotland's children's causes, is looking for 2000 volunteers - or "Kilties" as they are fondly known - to help support its events across the country.

There is a growing sense that ordinary people want to do their bit: from charity work to community projects that improve their environs or play a part in caring for the vulnerable in society.

The question is how we found ourselves in this era of mass volunteering at all: which brings us full circle to Mr Cameron.

While he is correct that volunteers should be given better recognition and indeed encouragement for their tireless efforts, let's not allow him to attempt to take ownership of something in which the only role Mr Cameron has played is to lead Britain into a baleful scenario where a record number of Scots are using food banks.

The notion of Big Society is merely smoke and mirrors. Bluster to hide the deception and betrayal behind Tory policy of brutal benefits cuts. By placing the emphasis on volunteers, it draws attention away from the gross failures and neglect of the state.

The only ones who deserve credit for the nation's legion of volunteers are the selfless souls who have their sleeves rolled up week in, week out.