Leaving Present Ideas for a Colleague — 20 Gifts They'll Actually Want (UK)

The leaving present: the hardest office purchase

You have £15–£50, no idea what they actually want, and a deadline of Friday. Welcome to the UK office leaving present. The good news is there are a handful of approaches that reliably work, and one approach that works every time regardless of how well you know the person.

The only universally safe leaving present

A pooled cash gift, collected alongside the card. It's not lazy — it's respectful. It lets the person choose exactly what they want with money they wouldn't have otherwise spent on themselves. A £60 pooled gift collected from 12 colleagues is more useful than a £60 hamper assembled by someone who doesn't actually know what the person likes. If you create an online leaving card on Thankeeu, contributors can add their contribution when they sign — no separate collection, no bank transfers to personal accounts. The recipient withdraws the GBP total directly.

Experiences — always appreciated, rarely thought of

• Restaurant voucher for their favourite place — or a Virgin Experience Days voucher if you don't know their restaurant. More memorable than anything that goes in a drawer.
• National Trust or English Heritage membership — works for almost anyone, lasts a year, feels generous without being expensive. Good for someone moving to a new area who might want to explore.
• Theatre or cinema vouchers — National Theatre, Odeon, Vue, Vue Gift Card. Works across the country.
• Spa day or wellness voucher — appropriate for almost any colleague. Treat yourself money they wouldn't ordinarily spend.

For someone moving to a new home or area

• National rail gift card — practical and genuinely useful if they're relocating.
• Riverford or Abel & Cole subscription — one month's veg box as a moving-in gift. Thoughtful without being lavish.
• Bloom & Wild flower voucher — they can order themselves when they've settled in, rather than receiving flowers on moving day chaos.

For a colleague going travelling or relocating abroad

• Wise multi-currency card — genuinely useful, low fees, works globally. Practical enough to be actually used.
• Lonely Planet or travel book for their destination — works if you know where they're going.
• Quality travel adapter — boring, essential, always needed, never bought in advance by the person themselves.

For a colleague retiring

• Personalised gifts with meaning — a map print of a place significant to them, a photo book of team memories, a personalised journal or leather notebook. These work because they're about the person, not just the occasion.
• Garden vouchers — for the classic British retiree who has mentioned gardening more than twice. RHS Gift Membership or a garden centre voucher.
• A quality whisky, wine or gin — if you know they drink. Bottle with a personalised label from a service like Batch Brewing or Not on the High Street.

Budget-friendly leaving presents (under £20 personally, or contribute to a pool)

• Nice stationery or notebook — works for most people and signals you paid attention to what they'd use.
• Quality tea or coffee selection — Fortnum & Mason, Whittard, Pact Coffee.
• A book you think they'd actually read — only do this if you genuinely know their reading taste.

The rule of thumb

The further from generic, the better. "Something from John Lewis" is fine but forgettable. Something that shows you paid attention to who they actually are and what they're actually going on to do is remembered. If you genuinely don't know them well enough for that level of specificity, the pooled cash gift is the most honest and appreciated option. Create the leaving card and collection here.