Many of us are now working on a hybrid basis, partly from home and partly in the office. I am aware of a variety of hybrid working approaches. Regardless of the working model adopted, I am hearing from both my clients that I am coaching and the coaches that I am supervising that the leaders of organisations are struggling. The psychological stamina and emotional resilience needed now is a tall order after the pandemic.

A recent survey by Price Waterhouse about the potential for precision medicine shows that global leaders in the pharmaceuticals industry are aware of its promise; 92% identify precision medicine as an opportunity and 84 percent have it on their corporate agenda.

YouTube, Zoom and Instagram have boosted the popularity of virtual exercise classes and the Couch to 5k mobile app has hit five million downloads since the pandemic started with no signs of slowing down. More people are achieving improvements to their physical and mental health through technology

Alongside every other strand of business, Scotland’s horticultural sector is having to face up to the impact of the cost of living crisis. Gardens, growers, nurseries and garden centres are feeling the squeeze as overheads rise and customers cut spending in order to meet the escalating cost of everyday essentials.

I was interested to read recently that even City workers in London, are not rushing back to the square mile and old ways of working. Instead, the research commissioned by specialist City recruitment firm, The Return Hub, reveals they want more flexibility post-pandemic, with 50% claiming to only apply for a role that offers ‘flex’.

Caledonia Housing Association is supporting the need for new ways of working through its ‘Agile for Everyone’ model.

Scotland is particularly proud of its food and drinks industry - it has a larder full of speciality products and global brands. Accounting for one in five manufacturing jobs and contributing to over 13% of exports, the industry is also a major contributor to Scotland’s economy and a key growth sector.

Just last month Cruden Homes was amongst the winners at the annual Homes for Scotland Awards. Awards are always welcome, but they mean even more during times of upheaval and uncertainty, so to receive the top accolade of ‘Home Builder of the Year - Large’ along with ‘Development of the Year - Small’ was an aptly timed honour.

Glasgow is rightly known as the “dear green place” due to the city boasting more than 90 parks and gardens. Afterall, our oldest park, a stone’s throw from the city centre, is simply known as Glasgow Green.

For many Glaswegians, the renowned Glasgow Garden Festival in 1988 is etched in our memories. It is incredible that a temporary exhibition has weaved itself into the fabric of the city. For me, it also serves as a reminder that we must continue to ensure that people living in or visiting Scotland’s largest city have easy access to green spaces.

In 2022, it’s hard to imagine a village, town or city across Scotland which hasn’t seen historical buildings fall into disrepair. As the need for new affordable homes, schools and cultural spaces continues to grow we forget about the buildings which, for generations, were part of the social fabric of our communities. Churches, burgh halls, train stations and even libraries don’t play the prominent role they once did with many neglected to the point where extensive repairs are potentially required before partial collapse becomes a reality.

As we embrace post-pandemic life, social landlords as well as focussing on building new homes are also putting repairs and maintenance of existing stock at the top of their priority list. This drive to make significant improvements to tenants’ homes relies on key partnerships with contractors.

There is no silver bullet to the UK’s chronic housing shortage. Compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s an issue with far-reaching consequences. Despite the supply chain now bearing the brunt, coupled with labour shortages and skills gaps across the workforce, the need for housing continues to increase with demand outstripping supply.

Some asks are big, unrealistic - a moonshot. Some are achievable with a fair wind behind them. My ask for Social Care is that we are unbridled of obstruction, allowed the conditions in which to flourish, in short, that we can function without friction.

When I travel to Paris this week for the next meeting of the D2 Grids Steering Committee, an Interreg North-West Europe funded project, I will be updating fellow members on the incredible progress being made in Glasgow on our Green Regeneration Innovation District (GRID) which includes Clyde Gateway’s own pilot for an innovative and sustainable renewable energy project.

What is a hospital’s primary purpose? To offer a diagnosis for disease. To treat the sick and injured. Or to provide shelter in a series of buildings for those during periods of treatment. Some define a hospital’s primary purpose as catering for the wellbeing of all.

Homeworking or a combination of work split between home and office is here to stay. All the evidence points to the hybrid work pattern remaining, and indeed growing for the foreseeable future. Home is indeed the new office.

In our lifetime, one in two of us will hear those three little words ‘You have cancer’. It’s a life changing, devastating moment in time, no matter if you are a wealthy CEO or barely started school.

I have been in and around building sites since I was a boy and have worked, and continue to work in all sectors of the architecture/construction industry (large and small). So, it might seem rather surprising that even after more than 30 years in the sector, as an architect and also as a developer, I am still thrilled and excited when I see our design, planning and building know-how crystallise in a new housing development.

As inflation rises beyond six per cent, the soaring cost of living is becoming a real crisis. Many of our tenants at Albyn Housing Society were last week looking for Chancellor Rishi Sunak to use his Spring Statement to announce measures to reduce living costs rather than installing a price cap that keeps energy prices at rates that some people already cannot pay.

The pandemic, a renewed focus on climate change following COP26, and the growing interest in ESG (environment, social and governance) credentials are all contributing to our changing world of work.

Scotland’s construction industry carries a huge responsibility. Not only is it being called upon to deliver up to 25,000 new homes annually to meet current demand, but it also has a significant part to play in lowering the country’s carbon footprint and helping it to meet ambitious environmental targets.