I'm pretty sure that Virgin Vie is Multi-level marketing (like most of the party-plan type schemes) which , unlike pyramid schemes, is legal and ethical and registered with the DSA.
Most MLM schemes allow people at all levels to sponsor new people into the business, and those who do will be paid for training, supporting and motivating their new team - just like a manager in any other company.
You can make money at any level , if you are only doing the sales side then you need to probably do a certain level of sales each month for it to feel worth while - and I guess VV has bonusses so that if you sell x each month you get a bonus - tis starts to feel like 'real' money! If you just dabble and do a party when you feel like it , and don't keep booking then it probably will seem like you are not making anything - esp if customers pay you cash and it goes in your purse and gets spent!
You've got to think of it as your own business - and any business takes time and energy to get it off the ground and keep it running so don't and expect to be earning £1000's straight away!, but if you are committed and work hard at it, the money is there.
Even if your manager does earn commission on your sales - and this will be much less than you can earn on your sales (so only gets paid if you are working) there is no reason why you can't also sponsor people and earn the same comission from your team. A good scheme allows people to earn at all levels so you shouldn't have to sponsor to earn a regular amount - but it does make it easier.
I'm not in Virgin, but do know how Direct Sales works - and it's always 'the other half' who comes up with the reservation about pyramid schemes without knowing much about either!
I hope this helps but ask whoever is sponsoring you into VV to explain it all and this should reassure you both.