SYDNEY, Dec. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- One year after announcing an exclusive partnership, leading wellness retailer SDS Australia and European sauna manufacturer Auroom have unveiled the Australian release of the Aurea Outdoor Sauna – a luxury-grade sauna that signals a new direction for the Australian wellness market.
The launch marks a major milestone in the partnership, which has gained significant momentum over the past twelve months as demand grows for design-led, architectural saunas rather than mass-produced offerings. According to SDS Australia's CEO, Michael Doubinski, enquiries are increasingly coming from architects, landscape designers and high-end residential clients seeking sauna solutions that meet architectural standards.
"The Aurea reflects where the market is heading," Doubinski said. "Wellness is no longer an afterthought. Clients want spaces that are considered, durable and visually resolved, something that belongs alongside contemporary architecture."
Designed and crafted in Europe, the Aurea Outdoor Sauna has been conceived as a standalone architectural object. Its sculptural form, premium material palette and precision-engineered construction distinguish it from conventional outdoor saunas currently available in Australia.
The sauna is built using solid European timbers, including a refined thermo-treated exterior and a waxed alder interior, selected for both longevity and tactile warmth. Subtle integrated lighting, multi-level benching and carefully controlled proportions reinforce its positioning as a designed space, rather than a merely utilitarian product.
SDS Australia notes that the release of the Aurea follows a year of strong growth in its collaboration with Auroom, with the brands supplying saunas into premium residential builds, wellness retreats and architect-led projects across Australia.
"A year ago, we spoke about bringing a different level of sauna craftsmanship to Australia," Doubinski said. "The Aurea is a clear expression of that vision and a signal of what's next."
The Aurea Outdoor Sauna is now available through SDS Australia, further expanding the company's portfolio of European-made wellness environments aimed at the upper end of the Australian residential and commercial market.
CONTACT: Ben Pollett, benpollett@sdsaustralia.com
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
SDS Australia Unveils Luxury Sauna as Exclusive European Partnership Enters Second Year
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On her first day as ECW Director, Maysa Jalbout visits Lebanon to reaffirm ECW's commitment to the country's children, announce new emergency funding and mobilise urgent international support.
BEIRUT, April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Education Cannot Wait (ECW) today reaffirmed their strong partnership with Lebanon's Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) to protect the right to education for children impacted by the rapidly escalating crisis in Lebanon.
During her first official mission as Director of ECW, Maysa Jalbout met with H.E. Minister Rima Karami, alongside the Inter-Agency Support Group (IASG) Education Sector co-leads UNICEF and Save the Children and civil society partners, to assess urgent needs and coordinate a swift, collective response to the crisis.
Lebanon is facing a severe humanitarian situation, with over one million people displaced and more than 250,000 children across the public school system experiencing disruption to their education. This latest escalation compounds years of overlapping crises including– economic collapse, the Beirut port explosion and the current escalation of regional conflict.
As part of this joint effort, ECW is launching an immediate emergency response that will focus on the areas most affected by the escalation of hostilities, ensuring safe access to learning, psychosocial support and protection services for the most vulnerable children.
In parallel, ECW will initiate the development of a new multi-year investment, expected to begin within the next six months, aimed at strengthening the resilience of Lebanon's education system and supporting sustainable learning outcomes.
Together, these investments are expected to reach more than 150,000 crisis-affected children and adolescents, prioritising those most at risk of exclusion.
"Education Cannot Wait – the global fund for education in crises – stands with the children of Lebanon. Education during crises is essential to children's mental health, protection and future. With our partners, we will do everything we can to help 150,000 children resume their learning," said Maysa Jalbout, Director of ECW. "The needs are far greater than any single actor can meet. While many donors continue providing multi-year support for children's access to quality and inclusive education in Lebanon, the gaps remain significant and require urgent additional support to reach all children."
H.E. Minister Rima Karami underscored the urgency of the moment and the need for a new way of working.
"Lebanon has carried the weight of successive crises for over many decades and today we are once again called to protect our children and our future. This crisis is not only creating new needs – it is threatening the very stability that the Lebanese people have sacrificed so much to maintain. We must act collectively, and we must act differently. Our partnership with Education Cannot Wait reflects this commitment, and we call on the international community to stand with us in scaling this effort," said the Minister of Education and Higher Education.
The new ECW-supported response will be guided by the following key priorities:
- Localisation and national ownership, with a strong commitment to channelling significant resources through local actors and partners.
- Equity and inclusion, ensuring equitable access to education for all children, with a particular focus on girls, children with disabilities and those most marginalised.
- Learning continuity and quality, supporting both immediate access and improved learning outcomes over time.
- Well-being and protection, integrating mental health and psychosocial support into education responses.
- Flexibility and adaptability, enabling rapid adjustment to evolving needs on the ground.
The initiative also presents a critical opportunity for additional partners to step forward. ECW and MEHE are calling on donor governments, philanthropic organisations, and the private sector to match and scale this effort, ensuring that the response meets the full scope of needs.
Notes to Editors
- ECW's investments to date in Lebanon total US$25.8 million, reaching 826,000 crisis-affected children and adolescents with access to safe, inclusive and quality education – including those displaced by the escalating regional conflict.
- B-roll and high-resolution photos are available here.
ABOUT EDUCATION CANNOT WAIT
Education Cannot Wait (ECW) is the global fund for education in crises. The Fund provides rapid, flexible funding to locally led education responses that protect learning for refugee, internally displaced and other children, while strengthening systems to sustain learning and resilience in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. ECW works with governments, public and private funders, UN agencies, civil society organisations, and other humanitarian and development aid actors so that no child is left behind.
As global crises intensify and the education financing gap widens, ECW calls on public and private sector partners to scale up investments so millions more crisis-affected girls and boys can learn and rebuild their futures.
Additional information available at: www.educationcannotwait.org
For press inquiries:
Estefanía Jiménez: esjimenez@un-ecw.org
On her first day as ECW Director, Maysa Jalbout visits Lebanon to reaffirm ECW's commitment to the country's children, announce new emergency funding and mobilise urgent international support.
BEIRUT, April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Education Cannot Wait (ECW) today reaffirmed their strong partnership with Lebanon's Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) to protect the right to education for children impacted by the rapidly escalating crisis in Lebanon.
During her first official mission as Director of ECW, Maysa Jalbout met with H.E. Minister Rima Karami, alongside the Inter-Agency Support Group (IASG) Education Sector co-leads UNICEF and Save the Children and civil society partners, to assess urgent needs and coordinate a swift, collective response to the crisis.
Lebanon is facing a severe humanitarian situation, with over one million people displaced and more than 250,000 children across the public school system experiencing disruption to their education. This latest escalation compounds years of overlapping crises including– economic collapse, the Beirut port explosion and the current escalation of regional conflict.
As part of this joint effort, ECW is launching an immediate emergency response that will focus on the areas most affected by the escalation of hostilities, ensuring safe access to learning, psychosocial support and protection services for the most vulnerable children.
In parallel, ECW will initiate the development of a new multi-year investment, expected to begin within the next six months, aimed at strengthening the resilience of Lebanon's education system and supporting sustainable learning outcomes.
Together, these investments are expected to reach more than 150,000 crisis-affected children and adolescents, prioritising those most at risk of exclusion.
"Education Cannot Wait – the global fund for education in crises – stands with the children of Lebanon. Education during crises is essential to children's mental health, protection and future. With our partners, we will do everything we can to help 150,000 children resume their learning," said Maysa Jalbout, Director of ECW. "The needs are far greater than any single actor can meet. While many donors continue providing multi-year support for children's access to quality and inclusive education in Lebanon, the gaps remain significant and require urgent additional support to reach all children."
H.E. Minister Rima Karami underscored the urgency of the moment and the need for a new way of working.
"Lebanon has carried the weight of successive crises for over many decades and today we are once again called to protect our children and our future. This crisis is not only creating new needs – it is threatening the very stability that the Lebanese people have sacrificed so much to maintain. We must act collectively, and we must act differently. Our partnership with Education Cannot Wait reflects this commitment, and we call on the international community to stand with us in scaling this effort," said the Minister of Education and Higher Education.
The new ECW-supported response will be guided by the following key priorities:
- Localisation and national ownership, with a strong commitment to channelling significant resources through local actors and partners.
- Equity and inclusion, ensuring equitable access to education for all children, with a particular focus on girls, children with disabilities and those most marginalised.
- Learning continuity and quality, supporting both immediate access and improved learning outcomes over time.
- Well-being and protection, integrating mental health and psychosocial support into education responses.
- Flexibility and adaptability, enabling rapid adjustment to evolving needs on the ground.
The initiative also presents a critical opportunity for additional partners to step forward. ECW and MEHE are calling on donor governments, philanthropic organisations, and the private sector to match and scale this effort, ensuring that the response meets the full scope of needs.
Notes to Editors
- ECW's investments to date in Lebanon total US$25.8 million, reaching 826,000 crisis-affected children and adolescents with access to safe, inclusive and quality education – including those displaced by the escalating regional conflict.
- B-roll and high-resolution photos are available here.
ABOUT EDUCATION CANNOT WAIT
Education Cannot Wait (ECW) is the global fund for education in crises. The Fund provides rapid, flexible funding to locally led education responses that protect learning for refugee, internally displaced and other children, while strengthening systems to sustain learning and resilience in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. ECW works with governments, public and private funders, UN agencies, civil society organisations, and other humanitarian and development aid actors so that no child is left behind.
As global crises intensify and the education financing gap widens, ECW calls on public and private sector partners to scale up investments so millions more crisis-affected girls and boys can learn and rebuild their futures.
Additional information available at: www.educationcannotwait.org
For press inquiries:
Estefanía Jiménez: esjimenez@un-ecw.org
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
Education Cannot Wait Launches Urgent Support to Protect Learning for Crisis-Affected Children in Lebanon
