ON February 10, 35 of us from Botton waited outside the CVT office, in Malton, in protest. CVT took no notice of us and did not open the door, or ask us if we wanted to come in for tea.

There were newspapers and TV cameras filming us singing and we were standing in the freezing cold. In the end, we went to a lovely café called the tea room and the lady who ran the café was shocked to see so many people coming in to her café. After lunch, we went to Northallerton to the offices of North Yorkshire County Council and did the same – we sang our Botton song and showed our banners and posters.

An officer of the county council welcomed us in for warm tea and biscuits and talked to most of us. We walked past the chamber where talks and meetings are held, and then we all got in our three buses and one car to drive back to Botton village.

We are celebrating our meeting with North Yorkshire County Council and for giving them my petition, and Allan, from Martin House too, and we also gave them papers about all the people in Botton who have learning disabilities and how we need help and need everyone to listen to us, to help us stop any changes.

We are disappointed that the people at CVT Malton ignored us and did not even say hello.

Here is the new official Botton village song, which you can learn for the public meeting. The words can be sung to the tune of Frere Jacques:

We are Botton,
we are Botton,
We are free,
we are free,
You will never beat us,
You will never beat us,
CVT,
CVT

The public meeting is in Danby Village Hall, on Friday, at 7pm.

Lucinda Riis-Johannessen, Botton