A COMMUNITY campaigner from Andover is celebrating two years since major heart surgery “extended her life” and prompted her to devote her life to the town.

Manuela Wahnon, Advertiser columnist and campaigner behind the Attitude of Gratitude movement in Andover, has been working to better the town for residents for more than a decade, as a litter-picker, public speaker, and writer.

Manuela grew up as the eldest of five siblings, in an army family which moved around a lot. She returned to Andover as an adult and decided to adopt it as her permanent community.

The 76-year-old retired chef and caterer said: “Having grown up moving about, I wanted to feel at home, and my mum is buried here.

“I feel I am a mum to the town. The amount of people that say ‘Can we just call you mum?’, that really touches me, that feels wonderful.”

Manuela’s campaigning journey began in 2008, when was walking through the town to deliver some presents to her brother-in-law, to thank him for fixing her washing machine, and she came across a man sleeping on the street.

“His name was Max,” she said. “He was an elderly, well-educated gentleman. When I started Attitude of Gratitude, it was because of him.”

Returning to see Max the next day, Manuela admits her prejudices were confronted, as she had expected to be going there to pick up the litter left behind, but in fact found the area spotless.

“He said ‘Why would I litter where I sleep? It’s only people with roofs over their heads that litter outside’”

From there, Manuela did a seven-day litter picking campaign, wearing a slogan shirt inviting others to care about their environment.

“I suddenly thought, I like doing this,” she said. “So every day from that day, I would go around every morning for an hour and fill a bag.

"Most people have a charity they support, but the cause that I choose to help is environmental services at TVBC."

In 2009, the grandmother and great-grandmother set up the Attitude of Gratitude campaign and blog, to encourage others to adopt a similar outlook on community spirit.

She began being invited to speak in schools, and continued litter picking for an hour every morning until earlier this year.

“My time is voluntary and I am self-funded,” she said.

“When people are quizzical and say ‘Why do you do it?’, I say ‘Why not?’.

“Before you can enjoy life you’ve got to do a day’s work.”

In 2009, Manuela was awarded with a Pride of Andover Award, and in 2014 was presented with a Point of Light award from then-Prime Minister David Cameron for being a “litter-picking champion”.

“If I, by being somewhere, can help someone, then why not do it? It’s not costing me anything.”

But, in 2019, a major health scare changed Manuela’s life forever.

“I went to hospital to have a triple bypass, but when they opened me up they found out it was six arteries that needed to be done,” she said.

For about 18 months before the surgery on October 1 2019, she was slowing down.

Manuela credits former mayor and leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Cllr Ian Carr MBE, for giving her the life-saving push she needed to seek medical help.

“It got so bad, there was a time I couldn’t walk across George Yard car park, because it was too vast a space.

“If it wasn’t for Ian Carr insisting and pushing me forwards, I probably wouldn’t be here today. He had had a four-artery bypass and he could see what was wrong with me, but I wouldn’t have it.”

She continued: “I was petrified out of my mind. But when I came round, that’s when I thought, I’ve got a chance now. Even with all the wires around me, even in the depths of my initial recovery, all I could think was there are still people worse-off than me.

“[The hospital staff] gave me my life back, but there are people out there that can’t be repaired, who you can’t cut a piece out of and put another piece in. There are things that people live with every day, and I don’t have that.”

When Manuela stopped her daily litter-picks in early 2021, she started looking at what else she could do to help the town. As a blogger and columnist in the Advertiser, she decided to use her platform to boost local people and businesses.

“I doubt there’s a day when I’m not praising somebody, thanking somebody, or promoting somebody or a business,” she said.

“I feel that, if you give out positivity, you will get it back. No one likes a moaner.

“I consider myself a sort of estate agent for the town, I never ever write anything negative.”

On October 1 2020, Manuela travelled back to Nottingham City Hospital, where she had the surgery, and celebrated the milestone by independently walking from the front entrance to the ward.

“It felt unbelievable, and the staff felt great as well,” she said. “Because people send chocolates and cards, but nobody comes back and lets them see that their work is done.”

Each day, Manuela finds herself able to do more and more things with the support of her family and friends, many of whom are Andover business people, and including her best friend Karen Hamilton, who “inspires” her

Looking forward, she plans to continue devoting her time to the town.

“I have to get up every day, because one day there will be no tomorrow and I need to make sure my life counts. I am not going to sleep my time away.”

She added: “There are so many people quietly doing great things, just getting on with it. Empty vessels make the loudest sounds, and the people doing the most good are the quietest ones.

“When tourists come to our town, they see the beauty, but we don’t stop and look.

“I am so honoured that I have this life, and I have to justify that. At night I ask myself, have I done enough today? And I think, yes I have, and that’s enough for me.”