A FUNDRAISER set up by the partner of a beloved former teacher in Basingstoke has raised more than £5,000 in three days.

Emmanuelle Soisnard, known as Manu, was a French teacher at The Vyne school for 25 years.

Originally from Calvados, Normandy, in the northwest of France, Manu came to the UK in her twenties to teach the language, and 'gave her life'  to the Basingstoke secondary school, taking on numerous additional roles such as heads of Modern Foreign Languages, Performing Arts, Music and Drama; overseeing teacher trainees from universities across the south east; overseeing all of the newly qualified teachers; overseeing the induction programme; and as Union representative.

Sadly, Manu is now living with terminal lung cancer at St Michael’s Hospice, and so her partner, Gary Revell, set up a JustGiving page, as a line of communication with all who knew her.

The mother-of-one was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in May 2019 at the age of 48, which Gary said “came as a shock”, adding: “She's never been a smoker, was very fit, didn't drink and was very careful about what she ate.”

He continued: “It was the worst diagnosis you can get and it was her first diagnosis, so she had nowhere to go.

"It was very distressing, she has done incredibly well dealing with it. It is very difficult.”

Two weeks ago, due to the worsening of her symptoms, Manu was invited to move from her home in Chineham to St Michael’s hospice.

“She is pleased she is in there and she wants to stay there because they take such good care of her,” said Gary.

“She loves the staff and they love her too. I couldn’t possibly give her the same care that they do."

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Speaking of how Manu has settled in, he added: “I can go in there, but it's only very close family members. People do go and visit her outside her room, because she’s got a french window. Her friends know where her room is so she has friends come and see her quite a lot.
 

“It was her 50th birthday yesterday. We did a little bit of a celebration. She is still mostly with it mentally, but the symptoms can get too much.”

Manu and Gary decided to set up the JustGiving page last week, mostly to let people know where Manu is living, as well as to give something back to the hospice at a difficult time for them too.

“It’s a way of communicating to people, it’s letting people know. You can see from the comments from people, from the kids and parents, what a good teacher she was,” said Gary.

“It is good for Manu to see something positive coming out of this situation. She is getting comments from people she hasn’t spoken to for years."

Manu said: "I'm loving it. I am glad that, thanks to Gary, this went live before I die. It warms my heart. I still remember every single child and I have taught six or seven thousand."

Manu is asking that people who donate leave their name, rather than doing so anonymously, as she wants to remember each person.

She also spoke to the CEO of St Michael's hospice - who she knows, as she taught his daughters - and he told her than it would normally take someone at least six months to raise what they did in 48 hours.

Gary added: “It has surprised me how much money [we have raised], but not the number of people. She didn't used to like going into town because she’d be walking along the street and always be recognised when she wanted to be anonymous! A lot of kids were never taught by her but still know who she is, it's amazing really.”

In three days, the page has raised more than £5,500 in aid of St Michael’s hospice.

“Their shops are shut because of Covid, so this is a good way of getting some money in for them,” said Gary.

“We are both touched very deeply by the affection being shown to her.”

To keep up to date with Manu’s story, and to donate to the cause, visit: justgiving.com/fundraising/gary-manu-revell