Here is a good news story, which stands out from the grubbiness of much everyday politics.

I recently attended the annual general meeting of the Ethnic Minorities Law Centre (EMLC) and was encouraged and inspired by what took place.

The EMLC was first established in 1991 with support from the then Strathclyde Regional Council.

Its purpose was, and still is, to provide legal advice and representation in matters relating to employment, discrimination, human rights, immigration and asylum.

From small, precarious beginnings this project has proved its worth. It now receives funding from a number of local authorities, the Scottish government and the Lottery.

An Edinburgh office has been established for some years and the work of the EMLC has now been extended to the Highlands in the north to Lanarkshire and Ayrshire in the south.

The board of directors has in the redoubtable Jonathan Squire a most proactive and wise convener and the centre itself is supervised by its dynamic and shrewd principal solicitor, Rosie Sorrell.

It has also valued the support and counsel from its two patrons, Helena Kennedy and Charles Kennedy.

The centre has experienced legal practitioners and a dedicated administrative support staff, some of whom are bilingual. Interpreters are available when required for appointments.

We all know that AGM reports can be boring, but in this instance the useful statistical information - and there is plenty - is enlivened by case studies and accounts of personal experiences from those who have benefited from the services of the EMLC. This puts a human face on the work of the centre.

For example, a young Pakistani woman who had experienced persecution from her family because she was gay was helped by the law centre to prepare for her asylum interview.

She was granted asylum status following the interview and has been given five years' leave to remain in Britain.

The Edinburgh office reported the case of Mr A who came to Britain in 2004 and was joined by his family in 2005. After a period of study he was permitted to stay and worked for a charity. However, in 2012 his visa was due to expire and the Home Office refused his application to stay, stating that it would not be disproportionate to expect the family to leave Britain.

The law centre helped Mr A in his appeal to the immigration tribunal which was successful.

This has allowed Mr A and his wife to continue their employment in Britain, to contribute financially to the local economy and to participate in charitable activities in the community.

Or take the Female Support project which was set up in response to the large number of women who were accessing legal services at the law centre and sought to provide emotional and practical assistance, helping them to cope with traumas that they had experienced so that they might feel safe and supported.

Imagine the sheer delight when the project received 50 free tickets to attend Olympic football matches at Hampden Stadium. More than 15 families from the project attended all-women football matches.

The feedback was very positive. For example, one woman said: "Oh my God that experience cannot be described, it was amusing to see the players so near instead of being on a TV and then getting some autographs from them. We were all screaming and enjoying being around other nationalities, and being proud to interact in Scottish society without barriers ... We are all looking forward to the Commonwealth 2014."

The Highland project over the last five years offers a vital resource to ethnic minorities living in the Highlands. It links closely with the Citizens Advice Bureau and other local agencies, from which it receives many referrals.

In turn it offers training sessions to these agencies. Notably, the project delivered workshops to Highland schools and youth groups, informing young people of their rights and responsibilities in relation to discrimination law, the 2010 Equality Act and hate crime legislation.

This day-to-day work is enhanced by successful appeals against deportation.

Thus an Eritrean refugee wanted to sponsor his son to come to Britain. He was living in a refugee camp in northern Ethiopia and was in danger of being sent back to Eritrea, where he would likely have been tortured for escaping and conscripted into forced labour.

The Home Office rejected the application on the grounds that it did not believe they were actually father and son.

The law centre provided DNA evidence to refute this, together with substantive supporting documentation.

The Home Office granted the appeal the day before the hearing was due to take place.

The work of the EMLC does not hit the headlines, but its value to minority ethnic groups is inestimable.

It seeks to deal with unmet legal need and provide access to justice for disadvantaged groups with compassion and professionalism.

This is surely something to celebrate. Scotland has pioneered this work in Britain and the record of the centre is there for all to see.