‘I donated to buy teachers a gift and I’m so angry at what was bought’

When it comes to buying end of year gifts for teachers, pooling resources with other parents can alleviate the pressure and result in a more substantial gift. However, one mother has found herself less than impressed when the money she contributed towards a group gift was used to purchase something she deems “tone-deaf.”

Collectively, the group managed to amass an impressive £400 for the school staff. Yet, the mother’s enthusiasm waned when she discovered that the funds were spent on vouchers for an upscale restaurant.

With 10 staff members to cater for, each person would receive approximately £40 worth of vouchers. Regrettably, this amount would likely fall short of covering the entire cost of a meal at the establishment.

Taking to Mumsnet’s Am I Being Unreasonable? (AIBU) forum, the anonymous mother wrote: “A mum at our nursery arranged a collection for the 10 staff members. She collected £400. All of the workers are on Minimum wage.

“She spent the money on gift vouchers to a local restaurant that charges £9 for a starter and £20 for a main. Considering the cost of living, am I wrong to be cross about this? She should have just given them £40 each.”

One user agreed with the poster, writing: “I’ve stopped joining things like this. One minute there’s a reasonable plan, the next someone has passed the cash onto someone else, who has then bought a load of tat. I really don’t understand what is wrong with cash. Gift vouchers are like an inconvenient approximation of cash.”

Another user questioned: “How is it a gift if you have to spend money to enjoy it?”

Someone else added: “What a waste of money. Even Costa vouchers would have been better.”

However, not everyone shared the same sentiment. One mother chimed in, highlighting the potential financial burden associated with such a gift: “It’s a nice idea but could end up being very expensive if people have to buy new outfits or get childcare. I hate receiving vouchers as gifts, it’s so much worse than money.”

In contrast, some individuals saw the gesture in a positive light. One individual argued: “Lots of workplaces don’t allow you to accept cash gifts, and this voucher would be £40 each which would allow for two courses and a drink each at those prices. Surely that’s a nice free meal out?”

A fellow Mumsnet reader added: “Presumably the staff would all have to go for the meal together, which they may not want to, as if they went with a partner for example, they’d end up spending considerably more on the meal.”

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