Virgin experience as leaving gift...

[RunRunfaster81]

I am leaving my current job tomorrow. One of my co workers has been organizing my leavers collection and gift, shes not asked for anyone else's input from all my team.
I was told today what my gift is because she said they are all annoyed there was no input into it. I don't want to sound ungrateful but shes got me a virgin experience voucher. i have no idea what ill spend this on, dont want to hot air balloon or helicopter ride. spa day maybe but seems so over priced.
Im on my own with DD11 so could do something with her?
Any advice please

how many people don't live within travelling distance of a city though?
84% of the UK live in an urban area, and many more again will live close enough to one to easily travel.
Even if you live in the arse end of nowhere surely you make trips to a city every now and again for entertainment/human interaction/shopping?

There are absolutely loads of different things on virgin experience, spanning a very wide range of interests. You don't have to go in a hot air balloon, there are restaurants, shows, spa, etc OP could go to with her dd or alone.

Yes it's a bit weird that the organiser didn't consult with OP's team but at the end of the day it's done now, may as well make the best of it!

I know it’s not funny but I did laugh when seeing it in my head! Sounds like some out of a fifties comedy sketch, Albert and the lion!

What on earth was she thinking ?
I’m not surprised your team were annoyed .

why was this random co-worker doing the organising in the first place though?

is it part of her job role or does she just like the kudos? Or had none of your actual teammates volunteered so she got stuck with it? In which case it's a bit unfair of them to moan she didn't then ask for their input!

Paddington experience sounds something you’d both enjoy but I’d rather have had the amazon gift voucher too.

YANBU

I hate gifts that force the receiver to pay out of pocket to use them, experience vouchers pretty much always fall into this category for me due to travel.

A friend once booked us tickets to go to mama Mia the party, and generously said we can split the cost of a hotel. Between travel, hotel, and drinks it cost me about £180 all in. Wish I’d just said no!

I got one if these and used it for the tweed bag making workshop with my mum and we had a lovely time just incase you have anything like that nearby

What zoo was this at?

It wasn't actually at a zoo, as said it was some time ago now so regulations have no doubt changed but back then I was directed to what I can only describe as a very long bungalow to meet handler named David

i just had a quick look. There are options that are a kit that can be delivered to you. Projects you could do with your child.

I think you are just being difficult.

If you don’t like it, just donate it to your daughter’s school. This would get snapped right up at a silent auction or be a great addition to a ticket raffle.

I remember a thread from ages ago, where OP lived right up in the remote northern Highlands. She was given an 'experience' voucher by a family member who lived near London, and the nearest place she could redeem it was in Edinburgh (or may have been Glasgow). They advertised their vouchers with the reassurance that they had 'many centres all across the UK', but as so often happens, that translated to only one single place in the whole of Scotland - in the central belt.

She was looking into the costs of the travel and the accommodation that she would need (no chance of achieving it as a day trip), and she simply couldn't actually afford the cost to her of using this 'gift' - which was for something that she wasn't even that bothered about in the first place. All the while, her generous, well-meaning family member kept asking about the voucher, wanting to make sure she got the benefit of it and had a great day out; when all along she was having to keep making awkward excuses because she just didn't have the money needed to use it, and she didn't want to seem ungrateful.

I don't like these vouchers. I wonder how much money these companies pocket from unused ones. I once received one and sold it on eBay. DH received one from work and it was an activity that he didn't want to do. Me and DS did it for free, but had to pay £££ in trains to get to London. We did however very much enjoy that day out. But it's not really a good present if you have to pay a lot to use it.

Some very close friends of ours clubbed together to get us a hot air balloon experience for a wedding gift. We were grateful at the time but we lived in London at the time and you had to travel somewhere out of the city and stay the night to travel to the hot air balloon site at the crack of dawn. Then you had to call late the night before and listen to a recording of the pilot telling you weather conditions were not perfect and the balloon wouldn’t be flying after all! Every time this happened you got an extra 6 months to use the voucher. We booked and rebooked about 4 times over the next 2 years, by which point it was Covid. They then gave us another extension but by the time they could fly again I was pregnant.

It became a running joke but we never made it on the balloon. It’s a shame really because our friends spent a lot of money in good faith and all we got was hassle. They never asked how the balloon ride was thankfully.

Some lovely colleagues once gave me a voucher for a posh lunch for two at a nearby stately home they knew my DH and I liked to visit. That was a better option than a generic experience voucher. Most attractions offer gift cards, if not gift experiences, and you can choose something local to the recipient.

argh, I wouldnt want this

do you live in London? If so, theatre is easy enough to use

I've just swapped a Virgin Experience voucher for ArtChocolat chocolates delivered to my house. They are really good, definitely better than the experience I was given a voucher for. Not sure what happens if you got one of the more expensive vouchers.