Maxine’s September Roundup: GoApe Adventures, Lunch With Absoluters, Plus A Special Announcement!

September is here, and the autumnal season has well and truly taken hold with its comforting embrace. As the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer, it almost feels as though everything is slowing down, but we can’t say the same about AC - September was quite the opposite, in fact!

Let’s begin this month’s round-up with our biggest and by far most celebratory announcement: Absolute Collagen is now officially a Carbon Neutral Company! This means that we’re now committed to removing the same amount of greenhouse gases that we produce by supporting third-party carbon offsetting projects across the world. As part of our carbon neutrality plan, we are also making a pledge to make sustainable changes to our business where we can - you can read all about this as well as the projects we’re now a part of via our sustainability page! Sustainability is without a doubt integral to the ethos of AC, so to now have this all-important certification is a huge achievement for us all.

September also saw several more awards come our way, this time from Woman And Home Beauty Awards! Our Maxerum™ Collagen Boosting Serum won the Best Collagen Boosting Serum award while our Marine Liquid Collagen Drink won the Best Collagen Booster award - oh my goodness! To all of our wonderful Absoluters, thank you for your ongoing support.

In mid September, I had the pleasure of attending an Engaging With MedTech event organised by DEMAND Hub which was held in the beating heart of Birmingham University. Here, I presented Absolute Collagen’s brand story and had the opportunity to listen to the journeys of other business owners in the wellness and medical industry. There were so many inspirational messages and it was so rewarding to hear other brand stories and experiences.

Onto big fitness news! Towards the end of September, I participated in The Great North Run half marathon in Newcastle! It was such an unforgettable experience with a real warm atmosphere of unity as we all came together to remember Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

I also took part in the Prince’s Trust Palace To Palace bike race from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle with Darcy and a few other AC team members, which was an absolute honour. Most of us took the 45-mile route, however one of our brave team members set out to do a 90-mile journey! As you all know, The Prince's Trust is a charity that I hold close to my heart so I really wanted to get involved as a team.

September really was a fitness-focused month all around: for AC’s annual team-building day, we ventured out into the great outdoors to Go Ape in Cannock Chase! We participated in their adventurous Treetop Challenge which involved zip lining and climbing to heights up to 25m (eek!) and explored their trails on segways while we took in simply stunning views. The day was all finished off with some freshly delivered pizza and quick-thinking team-based activities - needless to say, we all had a fabulous time, even if we were a bit muddy afterwards!

Thank you to all the lovely Absoluters who came to meet me and Katy, our community manager, in my hometown of Bath at The Coppa Club! It was so special to share the delicious delights of one of my favourite places with you all. Roll on the next Absoluter brunch date!

I would like to draw this month’s round-up to a close by honouring Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We mourn the Queen with great sadness, whose life commitment and devotion to our country were unfathomable. As head of our nation, she conducted herself with such grace and integrity, always remaining humble and curious. Her presence will grace the pages of history for eternity.

Have you got any big plans this autumn? Maybe you’ve set a new goal, or achieved one of them already? Whatever you’re getting up to in this new season, I hope it's a happy and healthy one!