Day to day life

Whilst much has happened over the last few years and there has been significant change, in many ways day to day life in the houses is going on much as we are used to – which we have been at great pains to ensure as far as possible. The households are a little smaller as, within the Shared Lives regulatory framework, a maximum of 3 supported adults can live in each house. Some Villagers still attend CVT workshops, as they were used to, others have found other activities within the houses, gardens, craft groups and the Danby Health Shop, which we own and run. This supplies remedies and health foods, dry goods, organic vegetables, toiletries and cosmetics to our houses and the locality and some general household items for convenience, besides a small display of gifts and is a wonderful link and local service to the communities around us. 

Community members have started doing some volunteer work alongside other volunteers for the North York Moors National Park. They have been helping with upkeep to the Cleveland Way, and some tidying of the Moors Centre grounds.

We are working on the ‘organs’ of the community, and how to organise ourselves in groups and run our community effectively.

Botton School has transformed into the Moorland Waldorf Initiative. It is a small and fragile initiative, but it is very dear to us. Some of our children are being educated there as well as children who travel to attend. 

In September we held a families day together with Avalon, followed by a presentation on the Festivals, and in the evening a barn dance with the Esk Valley Occasional Ceilidh Band in Danby Village Hall. This band is a transformation of what was the Botton Band, and has local people as well as EVCC members playing together.

Really, we are just a bunch of people with lots of ideals, living, working and growing together, and have only each other and our relationships with each other. Everyone is able to contribute according to talent and capacity, to the shaping of the community, the daily life and the spiritual/cultural life of the community. We hope we shall be able to do a little bit of good in the world together. But we ourselves and the community are still fragile, in spite of all our ideas and ideals. We live on hope without much security. Therefore your continued support is so important to us!