What are the barriers that disabled people face in finding their ideal job is the question that MSPs on the Economy and Fair Work Committee will be asking as part of work into the issue.
Statistics show that people with a disability in Scotland have a lower employment rate than non-disabled people. The Scottish Government also has a target to half the disability employment gap by 2038 within the Fairer Scotland for disabled people – employment action plan. This work will try and identify what barriers exist and what more can be done to help disabled people and employers.
Claire Baker MSP, Convener of the Economy and Fair Work Committee said: “There have been some really good examples of where employers have put in place measures to make sure that everyone, regardless of their background, is able to get and keep a job.
“But we know that this is unfortunately not the case for every disabled person who is actively looking for employment.
“We want to hear directly from people about these barriers and what more we as policymakers can do to help make looking for a job a more equitable experience for everyone.”
The Committee is asking for those interested in this issue to give us their views. We’ll be asking for views on the following issues:
What progress has been made to reduce and remove barriers faced by disabled people to access Scotland’s labour market?
What are the remaining challenges, and why has progress been difficult?
What policy measures would you like to see to support disabled people and employers to increase participation rates?
What has been the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on disabled people’s experience of the labour market?
Edinburgh most liveable UK city, reveals ECA’s global ranking
Bern, Switzerland lands first place position for quality of life, after Copenhagen’s three-year reign at the top
Rotterdam, Netherlands enters top 10 most liveable cities in the world for European expats for the first time, overtaking Dublin (11th)
Canada back on destination ‘hit list’, outperforming European locations London, Barcelona and Berlin
All 15 ranked Chinese cities plummet due to Zero-Covid restrictions throughout 2022
Scottish cities are among the most attractive in the UK as Edinburgh ranks 17th and Aberdeen 21st most liveable in the world
The quality of life for European expats in Australian cities is back to pre-pandemic status, while all 15 ranked cities in China have fallen down the liveability ranking, according to the latest annual Location Ratings Report from global mobility expert, ECA International (ECA).
Bern is the most liveable city in the world for European expats, while improved availability of expatriate housing has aided Rotterdam, Netherlands (8th) in climbing five places to enter the top 10 most desirable locations.
ECA’s Location Ratings objectively evaluate cities around the world to form an assessment of the overall quality of living for expats in over 500 locations across the globe. The ranking is based on a variety of liveability factors including availability of health services; housing and utilities; isolation; access to a social network and recreational and leisure facilities; infrastructure; climate; personal safety; socio-political tensions and air quality.
Most Canadian cities have performed well in this year’s ranking, making Canada the most appealing non-European country for European expats. Toronto (23rd), Vancouver (32nd) and Montreal (36th) all outperformed European destinations Berlin (37th), London (39th), Paris (42nd) and Barcelona (51st) despite geographical distance from Europe.
Neil Ashman, Senior Location Ratings Analyst at ECA International, said: “Canada continues to rank highly since pandemic restrictions were removed. For instance, Toronto’s ban on inside-dining was among the longest worldwide, which contributed to the city falling out of the top 20 most liveable locations in the world.
“Pandemic controls in Canada were very strict, upending thousands of expatriates’ lives. However, the removal of these restrictions in Toronto and elsewhere has unsurprisingly made the country more liveable for Europeans. Praised for its multi-culturalism, exceptional infrastructure and healthcare system, Canada is a renowned favourite for European expats.”
Australia is once again among the top-ranking countries in the world for quality of life thanks to the lifting of Covid-19 related restrictions on recreational facilities and international travel. Ending some of the toughest pandemic rules in the world in 2022, New Zealand’s Auckland (47th) makes a return to the top 50, after falling from 33rd place to 58th in 2021. Melbourne (55th) and Canberra (52nd) leapt up 11 and 10 places, respectively – reclaiming their position as familiar favourites for European expats. Likewise, Adelaide (59th), Perth and Sydney (tied 74th) climbed 7 and 6 places.
At the time of analysis*, China’s Zero-Covid policy rendered most Chinese cities considerably less liveable for European expats. Falling by 16 places from last year’s ranking, Shanghai (159th) saw the biggest drop in liveability after Ukraine and Russia, the lowest it has ranked. Beijing follows a similar path, down six places in 2022 and landing 168th place. Other Chinese locations to see the next biggest drop were Zhengzhou (240th), Xi’an (202nd), and Tianjin (joint 197th with Wuhan), which dropped 10, 9 and 8 places respectively.
Hong Kong’s liveability also declined in 2022.
Ashman said: “Increasingly aligned with mainland China, Hong Kong’s appointment of a staunchly pro-Beijing figure to the post of Chief Executive in 2022 has further threatened democratic processes in the city.
“While political rights and freedom of expression will continue to be at risk in 2023, both in Hong Kong and in mainland China, we would expect to see some reversal of these falls in the rankings next year if the lifting of draconian Covid-19 policies, as of December 2022, is maintained.”
Once on par with Moscow, quality of life in war-torn Ukraine sees unparalleled decline
Kyiv, Ukraine’s ranking declined by 67 places, the most dramatic deterioration of any city in the history of ECA International’s Location Ratings, following Russia’s invasion in early 2022.
Unsurprisingly, the personal safety and socio-political tension categories are the most significant contributors to Kyiv’s lower liveability in the past year, while a lack of civilian international flights, affecting the external isolation score, and risk to mental health are also major factors for European expats.
Shortages of certain items, a disrupted energy infrastructure and reduced expatriate community are also contributing factors. Now ranking 223rd, ECA has moved Kyiv into a higher location allowance band, which global mobility teams utilise when setting salary packages for international assignments.
Ashman continued: “While we’ve often analysed countries where conflict has recently erupted, the immediate impact of these conflicts on a city’s liveability ranking tended to be less pronounced because socio-political tensions existed for a number of years beforehand, and living conditions were already at a significant disadvantage.
“Ukraine’s situation is less common because of its positive trajectory in the immediate years ahead of Russia’s invasion. In fact, Kyiv ranked 155th in 2020, higher than St Petersburg as well as Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, and it scored well for external accessibility and near-top marks for expatriate community pre-invasion.
“Kyiv’s rank at 223rd is now comparable to other locations that are experiencing conflict, like Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (255th), a dramatic drop from previous years. The war’s impact on overall liveability has been more pronounced in Kyiv with the biggest score decline we’ve recorded. Kyiv’s trajectory pre-war seemed likely to follow that of its Eastern European counterparts, who are today enjoying higher positions in the rankings owing to years of positive growth and investment,” Ashman added.
Eastern European destinations Tbilisi, Georgia (138th) and Warsaw, Poland (80th) are up in the liveability ranking this year, rising by 12 and seven places respectively, higher than even pre-COVID years when Tbilisi ranked 176th and Warsaw ranked 84th (2019). Despite ongoing conflict in neighbouring Ukraine, infrastructure and access to healthcare are better now in both cities than two years ago, and the easing of Covid restrictions has also contributed to greater liveability.
Expats in Russia face hostility and serious mental health challenges
Sanctions have negatively impacted access to banking and availability of healthcare and medicine in Moscow (186th) and St Petersburg (189th), Russia – which have both fallen by a whopping 41 and 35 places respectively from last year’s ranking. Russia’s tightened grip on freedom of expression, increased propaganda and surveillance has caused the expat community to diminish, while those who remain in Russian territory report difficult conditions and increased risks to mental health.
Ashman added: “While there is currently little threat from bombs and missiles to expatriates in Russian cities, major sanctions on Russia has led to a shortage of goods, including aeroplane parts for domestic flights, which affects internal isolation.
“We have also noticed expatriates are more conscious of the impact on their mental health, many experiencing hostility from the authorities and even the local population. Expatriates have reported that they try to keep a low profile, in some cases not speaking out loud in public in case their foreign accent is detected.”
Access to ECA’s Location Ranking data helps businesses ascertain appropriate allowances to compensate employees for the adjustment required when going on international assignment, taking into account both the home and host locations of the expatriate.
How the top 20 most liveable locations for European expatriates have changed over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic
The Government response to the Women and Equalities Committee report on menopause and the workplace is a “missed opportunity to protect vast numbers of talented and experienced women from leaving the workforce.”
Published today, the UK Government’s response rejects five of the Committee’s recommendations outright, including the recommendation to consult on making menopause a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 and pilot a specific menopause leave policy.
In a letter to Health Minister Maria Caulfield, the Chair of the Committee Caroline Nokes expressed concern that the Government has “ignored the significant evidence base” for equality law reform and called on the Government to review its position.
The Committee also highlights the low cost but high impact opportunities for model workplace menopause policies and menopause leave, which the Government has dismissed.
In the letter, the Committee highlighted it was “extremely disappointing that the Menopause Taskforce has not met since prior to the summer recess, and that the industry roundtable on HRT supplies has been delayed a number of times.”
The Committee’s report, published in July 2022, argued that the overlooked impact of menopause is causing the UK economy to ‘haemorrhage talent’.
It also argued that the current law does not sufficiently protect women experiencing menopause and does not offer proper redress to those who suffer menopause related discrimination, with evidence that many women have to demonstrate their menopausal symptoms amount to a disability to get redress.
Though the Government said it has accepted, partly accepted or accepted in principle six of the recommendations, it comes under criticism from the Committee for not actually committing to any new work in response to the report.
Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP, said: “This belated response to our report is a missed opportunity to protect vast numbers of talented and experienced women from leaving the workforce, and leaves me unconvinced that menopause is a Government priority.
“For too long women have faced stigma, shame and dismissive attitudes when it comes to menopause. The evidence to our inquiry was crystal clear that urgent action was needed across healthcare and work settings to properly address women’s needs, yet Government progress has been glacial and its response complacent.
“Its refusal to even consult on reforming equalities law doesn’t make sense and we urge it to look again.”
Scotland’s teacher unions have expressed their collective anger and disappointment with the continuing lack of progress in pay negotiations with the Scottish Government and COSLA.
An SNCT negotiating meeting that was held last Friday, which was again labelled as “positive and constructive” by the Scottish Government and COSLA, once again failed to result in any progress whatsoever toward a new pay offer to Scotland’s teachers.
While trade unions remain committed to a fair pay agreement, negotiated through the SNCT, teachers’ representatives are increasingly questioning whether the Scottish Government and COSLA truly share this commitment. No further negotiation meetings of the SNCT are currently scheduled.
Commenting, Des Morris – EIS Salaries Convener and Chair of the Teachers’ Side of the SNCT – said, “It is becoming increasingly clear that both the Scottish Government and COSLA have little or no interest in finding the modest additional funding that could bring a new offer to the table to potentially end this pay dispute.
“Five months since their sub-inflationary 5% pay offer was overwhelmingly rejected by teachers, and more than two months since a rehashed version of the same offer was again rejected, the Scottish Government and COSLA brought absolutely nothing new to the table in last week’s meeting – just a stubborn stance that Scotland’s teachers should accept 5% which represents yet another substantial real-terms pay cut that only further erodes the value of teachers’ pay.
“The reality is that the union side wants to negotiate, and has offered a wide range of suggestions towards the potential ‘compromise’ that the First Minister and her Cabinet Secretary have said is needed to reach agreement.
“We have had absolutely no proposals from the Scottish Government and COSLA, however – merely the same old tired lines, and a repeated and unreasonable insistence that all of the ‘compromise’ must come from Scotland’s teachers.”
Mr Morris added, “It is disingenuous and unacceptable for the Scottish Government and COSLA to continue to misrepresent negotiations as positive and constructive.
“The cold, hard truth is that, despite all their public claims of ‘working tirelessly’ and ‘turning over every stone’ to reach agreement, their entrenched position and refusal to offer any compromise at all leaves teachers, children and young people, and their parents facing the prospect of continuing and escalating strike action in Scotland’s schools.
“The ongoing and planned strike action is entirely avoidable. The Scottish Government and COSLA need to come forward with a genuinely improved offer that unions can put to our members.”
SSTA to Take Two Further Days of Strike Action
The SSTA National Executive has, following another failed SNCT negotiating meeting, authorised two days of strike action on Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 March.
The SSTA will be joining members of sister unions in national strike action in a coordinated campaign of industrial action.
Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary said: “The SSTA has taken a measured approach to industrial action due to the impact it would have on the pupils preparing for exams.
“The deliberate inaction of the Scottish Government and COSLA just shows the lack of respect and level of contempt, not only for teachers, but for the pupils they teach, forcing teachers to take more strike action. The Scottish Government and its accomplice COSLA are failing education, having deliberately refused to put any new money on the table since August last year”.
“The Scottish Government and COSLA were adamant during the pandemic that schools needed to be kept open and education needed to be continued regardless of the risks and dangers that teachers were placed in. These are the same people who have allowed this pay dispute to continue, see schools closed and pupils’ education disrupted. How can these people sit on their hands and seek compromise when they have refused to make any movement in five months?”
“How many more times are teachers to hear the same old rhetoric ‘we value teachers, and we are putting together a new offer’ only for another week to pass without a penny being put on the table. The SSTA has no option but to step up its industrial action”.
Catherine Nicol, SSTAPresident said. “Teacher unions are standing together and, with the support of the public and parents, we will succeed. However, we urge parents and members of the public to help by demanding action from the First Minister and Councils and get teachers back to school teaching”.
“Teachers have been propping up the education system for years by working many more hours a week than they are paid for and this goodwill is running out due to the arrogance of the employers and government who appear to want to break teachers resolve. I can assure them teachers are standing firm to get a fair pay settlement. Teachers need to say ‘No to Free Overtime’ and demand a salary that will retain and recruit teachers for the future”.
For those non whisky drinkers, why not look at some handcrafted, small batch Scottish Gin. Caorunn (pronounced ka-roon) Gin comes from the Gaelic name for Rowan Berry, which grows wild within a 5-minute walk from the distillery.
The Rowan Berry is infused with five other locally foraged botanicals including dandelion leaf, heather, Coul blush apple and bog myrtle along with six traditional gin botanicals and natural Scottish water. Fresh and floral on the nose, this gin is clean, sweet, full-bodied and aromatic with a long-lasting dry and crisp finish.
Burns Cocktail (Cranachan Cocktail)
35ml Caorunn
15ml Calvados
15ml Honey syrup
15ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 Fresh raspberries
20ml Pasteurised egg white
Top soda
Shake first 6 ingredients and double strain into hi-ball. Fill glass with ice and top with soda water. Garnish with large cinnamon stick and cinnamon sugar dusting.
When I was looking into Burns Night drinks, I found that a lot of them were very focussed on quite masculine flavours and were generally whisky heavy (writes ELLIE TAYLOR).
I looked into doing a savoury cocktail to sit alongside the traditional Burns meal but felt as though this was a little bit too obvious and wanted to do something that was a bit more relevant.
Cranachan came up a lot as the most popular Scottish dessert associated with traditional meals so I thought I would play about with the flavours and ingredients found within that. Rather than using apple as a direct ingredient, I used Calvados (apple brandy) to bring apple into the recipe and also bring additional complexity and depth. Apple and raspberry is a really classic Scottish flavour combination.
This is a drink designed to appeal to a wide audience, to be enjoyed after your traditional Scottish meal and one which stays true to Caorunn.
Garden Centre hosts two free sustainable workshops in Edinburgh
Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is hosting two free interactive workshops in its Edinburgh store this February, to help residents get their garden in shape.
Dobbies’ February Grow How session will be held on Saturday 4 February and will focus on teaching customers how to sow Sweet Peas, the scented favourite. The workshop will emphasise the importance of sowing in early February for earlier blooms.
Customers in Edinburgh will also learn the right temperature for optimum growing and frequency of watering to ensure a successful transition from seed to flower.
Dobbies’ Edinburgh store will also host its monthly Little Seedlings workshop on Sunday 5 February, perfect for kids aged 4-10.
This educational session is all about The Wonder of Weeds, shining a light on the various kinds of weeds, also known as wild flowers, found in the garden; how they spread, how they can be removed and what they can be used for. Children will also learn some fun facts and the health benefits of weeds.
Dobbies’ Partnership and Events Manager, Sarah Murray, said: “We’re passionate about getting our customers in Edinburgh into gardening and are looking forward to our Grow How and Little Seedling Club sessions.
“Our February workshops are a great chance to learn more about your outdoor space. Grow How will showcase beautifully fragrant and easy to grow Sweet Peas – you can even plant them in pots so you don’t worry about having a big garden space.
“Our Little Seedlings workshop will get kids interested in weeding, where they’ll understand the dos and don’ts, how to prevent them, and some of the health benefits associated with them.”
Sustainability is at the heart of Dobbies’ Edinburgh workshops, and the horticultural experts will highlight the great selection of environmentally friendly products that can be purchased in-store.
For more information about the two workshops and how you can take part, visit: www.dobbies.com/events
Funding secures free legal services to those most in need
Representative bodies for solicitors in Scotland have agreed to an £11 million package that increases fees for legal aid lawyers in Scotland and supports the country’s court recovery programme.
The Scottish Government offer, accepted by the Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association, secures continued legal aid support for criminal and domestic abuse cases and brings the total additional funding to legal aid providers to £31 million since April 2021.
The package also includes support for independent research aimed at agreeing regular, evidence-based fee reviews.
Under the agreement, which will come into force at the end of April, the structure of criminal legal aid fees will be changed to recognise the importance of early preparation in the swift resolution of cases. The move seeks to reduce the number of hearings, helping to address the backlog in court cases.
Individual solicitors will continue to have the right to choose which cases they wish to represent. The package is further to £3 million announced separately in the 2023-24 Scottish Government Budget to strengthen access to justice for deprived communities and vulnerable groups.
Community Safety Minister Elena Whitham said: “Scotland’s legal aid system is a vital lifeline to justice for many thousands of people and is one of the best systems in Europe, which is a testament to the hard work and dedication of participating lawyers, the Scottish Legal Aid Board and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
“I want to thank members of the Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association for working with us to reach an agreement that represents a genuine and credible offer of funding.
“A review mechanism for legal aid fees in the future will ensure the ongoing sustainability of Scotland’s legal aid system. We will continue to work with the legal profession and wider stakeholders, to ensure confidence in this process.”
The legal aid system provides publicly funded legal advice and representation for those most in need.
It is a key part of the Scottish Government’s vision of providing access to justice to everyone and is one of the best in Europe – with 70% of citizens eligible to some form of civil legal aid funding.
The majority of legal aid fund expenditure is on legal services provided by solicitors in private practice who are paid on a case by case basis.
Scotland will not meet its ambitious target of being net zero by 2045 without a more empowered local government sector, with better access to the skills and capital it needs to play its full role in the net zero energy revolution.
The Scottish Government must also set out a comprehensive roadmap that gives local government detailed guidance on how it wants the sector to make its full contribution to net zero.
These are the overarching conclusions reached in a report published today by Holyrood’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee, following a year-long inquiry into the role local government should play in helping Scotland achieve its ambitious net zero goal by 2045.
The report calls for the Scottish Government to provide additional financial support to Councils in future budget cycles to help them contribute to national net zero targets.
But it also makes clear that, with estimates of £33bn needed to decarbonise heat in buildings alone*, attracting private investment at scale is essential. It calls on the Scottish Government and its agencies to work with local government on an investment strategy that will increase investor appetite and lead to deals being agreed. It also calls for an expanded role for the Scottish National Investment Bank, to help bring together local government and investors in public-private co-financing.
The Committee calls for an area-specific place-based approach to tackle climate change across Scotland; to ensure all players work together to co-ordinate and report on climate change measures. It calls for Councils to be given the powers they will need to make this place-based approach work.
In the report, the Committee recognises the leadership many local authorities are showing in responding to the climate crisis and says good practice should be more widely shared across Councils. The sector should take a more consistent approach to net zero planning, budgeting and target-setting and embed net zero decision-taking at senior levels within Councils. The report also calls for Councils to set targets covering all emissions in their area, because even in areas where they do not have direct control, they can still have influence.
The report calls for Scottish Government assistance to address a skills deficit at local government level, with the drive to reach net zero making “unprecedented and often highly technical demands” on the sector.
Launching the report, Convener of the Committee, Edward Mountain MSP, said: “Over the course of almost a year of evidence-taking, it’s clear that unless key barriers facing local government are dealt with, we will not reach net zero by 2045.
“Local Government is the layer of democracy closest to communities. They have local knowledge and capacity to lead by example and are also uniquely well-placed to form the partnerships we’re going to need at a local and regional level.
“We saw for ourselves on committee visits across Scotland the leadership and good practice many Councils and their local partners are modelling. But against a backdrop of financial pressure, where Councils feel they are being asked to do more for less, they are struggling to think and plan strategically to maximise their contribution to net zero.
“We hope that the Scottish Government, COSLA and the wider local government sector will pay close attention to the recommendations we have made to enable the scale of transformational and behavioural change required for Scotland to succeed.”
Some of the key recommendations made by the Committee to the Scottish Government include that it should:
create a local government-facing “climate intelligence unit” to provide specialist help to Councils in areas where in-depth specialist knowledge is lacking;
allocate larger, fewer and more flexible challenge fund streams for net zero related projects at a local level that better support a holistic and place-based response to climate change;
address the churn, repetition and delay in the planning process that is holding up major renewables and other projects necessary to help meet net zero goals and has a chilling effect on investment. The long-term decline in numbers of Council-employed planners must be reversed in order to meet the ambitions of the new National Planning Framework, and one measure it calls for is the introduction of planning apprenticeships;
clarify the role Councils will play in an area-based approach to heat decarbonisation and set out the additional support they will be offered in preparation and delivery of their Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies. We want to see the new Public Energy Agency empowered and directed to work with local government on area-based delivery.
The report also says Councils should set out how they will engage with local communities to ensure that the net zero transition is not something imposed on communities, but something that people and groups can help shape, lead and deliver.
COSLA believes that the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee Report out today (23rd January) is a watershed moment for tackling Climate Change.
Cllr Gail Macgregor, COSLA Environment and Economy Spokesperson said: “This report by the Committee on the just transition to a net zero economy is potentially a watershed moment for Scotland in tackling climate change.
“The report is clear that Scotland will not meet its ambitious climate targets without a more empowered Local Government. To empower Local Government, Councils need not just increased funding, but also larger, fewer and more flexible funding streams. This has long been COSLA’s central message, so it is hugely heartening to see it recognised so strongly in the report.
“Climate Change is a challenge we all must face. Local Government is committed, locally and nationally, to leading the net zero transition, but COSLA has been open that local authorities can’t do that effectively without the increased support of Scottish Government. The report by the Committee lays out in the clearest way yet the support that is needed and why.
“The recommendations of the report are mainly directed at Scottish Government, but we need to consider them carefully too. Climate change requires a genuine team Scotland approach and I would hope that this report coupled with last year’s publication by the Climate Change Committee could be the defining moment we have needed to get delivery of the net zero transition on track for 2030 and beyond.
“I commend the Committee for the fullness, diligence and clarity of their report.”
‘We are currently in attendance at a commercial building fire on Rose Street in Edinburgh‘
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 11.29am on Monday, January 23 to reports of a building fire at Rose Street.
“Operations Control immediately mobilised two appliances to the scene and on arrival firefighters found a building well alight.
“A further eight appliances, including a high reach, were mobilised and crews remain on scene as they work to extinguish the fire. No casualties have been reported.”
South St David Street and a number of surrounding roads, have been closed to traffic and pedestrians following the building fire.
Please avoid the area if possible and follow directions regarding alternative routes.
PICTURES:Gillian Webster, Connal Hughes, Anthony Brown, Whacko TM.
UPDATE at 7pm
Ross Haggart is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Interim Chief Officer. He said: “The fire at the Jenners building in Edinburgh is a very serious and complex incident and regrettably I can confirm that five of our colleagues were taken to hospital for treatment. Four have now been discharged however one remains in a critical condition.
“The families of all those affected have been made aware. We currently remain at the scene with a total of 11 appliances and other specialist resources in attendance.”
Sterling Home Edinburgh is encouraging customers to invest in their rest for 2023, with the new year’s fresh start the perfect time to create your very own sleep sanctuary at home and make nodding off a dream.
Often the first step in improving physical and mental health, a good night’s sleep is only a few steps away, with Sterling Home Edinburgh partnering with renowned Scottish yoga instructor and self-love guru, Jess MacKenzie (aka Jess Yoga) to bring expert advice to the masses on how to create your perfect sleep sanctuary at home.
With the average person expected to spend over 26 years of their lives sleeping (HuffPost), investing in your rest has never been more important. Sterling Home stores across Scotland boast an extensive range of top quality divans, mattresses, bedding and bed brands, with an expert team on hand with tips and suggestions on how to transform your sleeping space for the new year.
Featuring everything from bed frames and mattresses to luxury bedding sets and bedroom furnishings, Sterling Home Edinburgh will encourage customers to get comfy and try before they buy – the perfect opportunity to test out what works for you, and finally replace that old mattress! Sterling Home’s winter sale is now live, online and instore, with up to 25% off selected bed ranges.
With research proving that replacing an uncomfy bed can result in an extra 42 minutes of sleep per night, there’s no better time to find your perfect sleep set up. And that starts with a good bedtime routine. Sterling Home has worked with Jess Yoga to help their customers perfect some snoozy rituals to make the most of new bed purchases.
Try out some of Jess’ top tips to prepare for a great night’s sleep below:
Strike a pose: Use calming breathing exercises or simple yoga poses to lower your heart rate and calm your busy mind.
Ditch the tech: Don’t use your smartphone 30 mins before bed – pick up a book or do try some light journaling.
Create a sleep sanctuary: Create a space that feels safe and relaxing – light a candle, use essential oils or massage in your favourite skincare.
Jess has also created a simple, easy to follow bedtime yoga sequence to help improve sleep.
Customers can transform their bedroom from dreary to deluxe in 2023, with Sterling Home’s collection of crisp, luxurious bedding, feather pillows and calming accessories.
Featuring world leaders in sustainable luxury brands including Harrison Spinks, memory foam experts Tempur and exquisitely stylish Hypnos, customers are guaranteed to find a mattress to suit their every need at Sterling Home Edinburgh with exclusive ranges from top bed brands.
Lee Johnston, Sterling Home said: “We’re encouraging customers to ease the pressures of everyday life in 2023 and ensure they can easily create their very own sleep sanctuary at home.
“Whether it’s a new and improved mattress to alleviate any aches and pains, hypoallergenic bed linen, or ambient room lighting, you’ll find it all at Sterling Home. Don’t be shy – come along and test out our new displays and take home a great night’s sleep!”
Jess Mackenzie, yoga instructor and self-love guru said: “I’m so excited to partner with Sterling Home to share my top tips for a better night’s sleep in 2023. Sleep is something which can aid every aspect of our lives – from physical health to mental, mood to productivity and energy levels, it’s something we all need to prioritise.
“I’ve loved creating a new bedtime routine with Sterling Home and can’t wait to see how my easy-to-follow, at-home bedtime yoga routine works for others.”
Sterling Home’s sleep experts are on hand in all stores across Scotland, encouraging customers to ‘try before they buy’ and test out mattresses to find their perfect comfort and support level.
