Get them a gift voucher!

However, there can be a little guilt about giving one as a gift as it’s potentially viewed as the ‘easy option’ or a ‘cop out’. In this blog we explore both views in more detail to help you decide if an online gift voucher is the right choice for your intended recipient and furthermore, unlock a great way to get your hands on some! 

What kind of gift vouchers are there?

If you are looking for gift voucher ideas, then look no further! In the UK, we are lucky that you can get gift vouchers for pretty much anything - from physical goods to experiences and everywhere in between!
This allows you the opportunity to tailor the gift to the person receiving it, without needing to know their innermost ambitions or interests. This makes it a perfect option for work colleagues who might be leaving, or who have a big birthday or maternity leave coming up. 

Do you know they like a meal out? Restaurant vouchers! Do they enjoy a weekend tipple (or a secret weekday evening one!)? Wine vouchers! Skydiving ambitions ? Car enthusiast? Experience vouchers! Is the recipient big on travel (goodness after Covid aren’t we all?!) Travel/accommodation vouchers.
Then there’s the more ‘traditional’ version, where you can get them a voucher for a store they love, or a brand they have a strong affiliation to or who sells products that cater to one of their interests. For example, they may love running - get them a voucher for a trainer brand. They love to cook - Le Creuset vouchers.

Alternatively, you might want to get something that allows them a wide choice - either a retailer that offers a huge and diverse range, or a voucher that allows them to pick from a massive choice of retailers.
What you are sure of is how you want to make them feel. Valued. Loved. Cared for. Like they have an impact on those around them. That they will be missed. That you wish them all the very best and that they mattered.  

There’s also the scary antithesis to this - the sheer embarrassment and guilt of an envelope quarter full of pocket change and some scrumpled up fivers.  A sad indictment on a person’s last day. 

Your work colleague is leaving, what online vouchers should you get? 

Being the kind of people that want to help solve your problems, we’ve taken the time to outline some of the best online vouchers to give as a leaving gift, so that you don’t have to. Have a read, decide what would suit your recipient best and it’s problem solved!

1. John Lewis Vouchers 
2. The Body Shop 
3. Red Letter Days 
4. Global Hotel Card  
5. Marks and Spencer 
6. Virgin Experience days 
7. Laithwaites’ wine
8. The Dining Out gift card 

John Lewis Vouchers 

An icon of great customer service and quality, nothing says ‘upmarket’ like John Lewis! Better still, they cater for so many different needs. From homeware to clothing, electricals to beauty, they have the ace up their sleeve of Waitrose on site too, so if the person wants to treat themselves to some great food and drink too, they can with a John Lewis voucher! Find out more here.

The Body Shop Vouchers

Everyone loves a good pamper and to get that self esteem boost that great skin, hair or makeup gets you. Not to mention the confidence you ooze when you smell great. Give the gift of all of this and let the recipient go wild on the products they want (I mean, how bad would you feel if you got them a cream for greasy skin that they didn’t realise they needed!)
A Body Shop Voucher shows them you care, that you know they care, and gives them a wonderful experience as they treat themselves, cost-free, to a host of wonderful feel-good products. Find out more here.

Red Letter Days Vouchers

This is a classic example of how one voucher can unlock a whole host of different opportunities for the recipient. What really matters is that Red Letter Days are the kind that someone will always remember. You are literally giving the gift of a lifelong memory! 

The recipient can select a magical experience in any field that tickles their fancy - driving, tours, weekend breaks, flying, theme parks, pampering experiences, afternoon tea, skydiving, bungee jumping…..

There are so many options and Red Letter Days makes it really easy to find the right experience, be that via location or number of people attending. You can rest assured that giving this voucher as a gift will result in a great experience for your work colleague. Find out more here

Global Hotel Card 

Powered by Expedia Group Parner Solutions, a Global Hotel Card gives the recipient access to 350,000 hotels, resorts and boutiques worldwide, including over 350 major hotel chains, such as Hyatt, Intercontinental, Radisson, Best Western, Accor, Marriott and more. 

If you know your work colleague likes to travel or gets away regularly of a weekend, then what could be more perfect than a card that lets them choose where they want to go and where they want to stay - tailored to their tastes, it means you don’t have to know the innermost workings of their minds to give them a gift they will love! Find out more here.

Marks and Spencer Vouchers

The epitome of a great British institution, Marks and Spencer is a brand name that anyone can recognise. It speaks for high-end homeware, great quality fashion and food for those special occasions and dinner parties! With stores in all the right places, an M and S voucher unlocks accessible quality to the recipient, and lets them spoil themselves with products they really want or need. Find out more here.

Virgin Experience Days Vouchers 

A name synonymous with class, getting your work colleague a Virgin Experience voucher as a gift affords them hundreds of world class experiences from the UKs leading experience gift voucher provider for the person who doesn’t do ordinary! With a very helpful blog that steers you to some of the most popular activities, you can guarantee that giving this as a gift to your work colleague will make it easy for them to find and book their dream day! Find out more here.

Laithwaite’s vouchers 

Whether it be a virtual event, a case of fine wine or a subscription that the recipient can enjoy every month, Laithwaite’s has the legacy and knowledge to ensure anyone who loves the wonderful world of wines and spirits can source world class tipples to indulge in well beyond their last day! With lots of unique features on their website and the ability to get anything from single bottles to cases of 12 mixed wines, your work colleague can fully immerse themselves, or simply enjoy brilliant wines from curated suppliers! Find out more here. 

The Dining Out Gift Card

Made for spending at some of Britain's best-loved restaurants, pubs, bars and hotels, the Dining Out Gift Card turns eating, drinking and even sleeping into the perfect gift. Whether you're looking to treat someone at a cosy country inn or a smart city bistro, with the Dining Out Gift Card, you'll find that great food, drinks and service are always on the menu.

With over 1,600 restaurants to choose from, including Miller & Carter, Toby Carvery, All Bar One and Harvester, you're sure to find something your work colleague will love! Find out more here.
Make buying your work colleague the perfect gift easy!  

So we’ve covered some of the best vouchers money can buy…..let’s go one step further and if you haven’t yet collected for the gift, give you the ideal solution for collecting money from your office. The proverbial ‘whip round’, the money pool, the digital equivalent to the brown paper envelope that used to get passed around the office. See our blog here for the minefield that is arranging a leaving gift, and the ways you can remove these from your already burgeoning list of things you have to do! 
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Collctiv is a free-to-download app that allows you to create a pot for any group occasion. Be that a gift or event, simply share the link or QR code via any method you like (Whatsapp, email, messenger, text, carrier pigeon….) and with one tap and around 5 seconds people can pay in with no app download needed, no account creation or verification of emails. Just tap and pay!
Want to give it a go? Download the app here and prepare to boss the work collection for leaving gifts!
 
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any better, let me unveil the final piece de resistance! Once you have completed the collection, you can use the funds you have gathered to buy any of the aforementioned vouchers directly from your pot!!
Problem solved without you needing to leave the comfort of your own home, or the marginal discomfort of your work swivel chair!
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But there’s more - we appreciate that every gift recipient is different and you need a variety of solutions to achieve the end result you wanted. The good news is that you don’t HAVE to get vouchers…if this isn’t your preferred leaving gift to get, or you want to combine a voucher with something else, Collctiv gives you that freedom.

There are many other options available to you:

1) buy vouchers 
2) buy flowers - see our blog on this here
3) get personalised and dedicated help from a gifting guru - read more about this here
4) withdraw the funds to your own bank account
5) send the funds directly to someone else Whatever works best for you, you can do! So, download the app for free now here and easily sort the collection and then secure the perfect gift for your work colleague who is leaving! You’re welcome ;-)

Organisers bring people together.

Since 2019 Collctiv has helped over 250,000 people from 83 countries come together by making it simple for Organisers to collect money from groups. Whether it's gifts for colleagues, group holidays or grassroots sports teams - download our free app today and start bringing people together!

A group of people coming together to give someone the perfect gift is a special moment. Whether it’s a milestone birthday, a show of recognition and appreciation for a colleague moving on to pastures new or even one of life’s special moments like a new house or the birth of a new baby.