Trigger's Humanity Club filled Shipham Village Hall on 10 October with a Cameroonian feast, folk songs and games for refugees and locals. How to volunteer.

Asylum seekers, refugees and local residents sat down together at Shipham Village Hall on Saturday 10 October for FEASTING, an afternoon of food, live music, creative workshops and games run by Trigger.

Trigger is an arts charity and creative studio based in Blagdon in North Somerset. It describes its work as “making ambitious, imaginative art in unexpected places; from giant dragon puppets and large-scale outdoor spectacles to immersive experiences that invite people to see the world differently”. Alongside that work, it partners with communities across North Somerset, “using creativity to bring people together, open up conversations and make meaningful connections between people and place”.

The food was a Cameroonian feast cooked by Moveable Feast. The music came from Özcan Ateş, who played traditional Turkish and Kurdish folk songs and some of his own compositions. Arts activities and games filled the rest of the afternoon.

A smiling man with his arms raised among guests at a table in Shipham Village Hall
A guest joins in at the tables during FEASTING in Shipham Village Hall. Photo: Samatha Gilraine, supplied by Trigger

Who it is for

FEASTING is the celebration strand of Humanity Club, Trigger’s programme for refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Trigger describes it as an ongoing project “created to support the wellbeing of asylum seekers housed in initial accommodation centres across North Somerset”.

In its write-up of the afternoon, Trigger said the events “create welcoming spaces for people to connect, share experiences and enjoy new activities together”, and that Humanity Club “creates welcoming spaces where people can meet, share cultures and build connections with local communities”.

Volunteers in pink T-shirts and orange aprons serving rice and stew to a queue of guests holding plates
Volunteers serving the Cameroonian feast cooked by Moveable Feast. Photo: Samatha Gilraine, supplied by Trigger

The programme started in May 2022. According to Trigger, two rural hotels in the area closed to the public that month to house more than 250 asylum seekers, who then relied on agencies in Bristol for everything from legal advice to English lessons. Trigger says it gathered a network of local people who donated clothes, shoes, toiletries, hair clippers and phones, ran car shares with locals commuting into Bristol, pointed people to legal advice and arranged regular games with a local football club.

Three years on, Humanity Club runs weekly creative workshops, regular cultural outings and the FEASTING events. Trigger names Refugees Welcome North Somerset, Valley Arts and Counterpoints Arts among its partners.

A musician singing and playing a long-necked stringed instrument at a microphone, with a drummer behind him
Live music at FEASTING, where Özcan Ateş played Turkish and Kurdish folk songs and his own compositions. Photo: Samatha Gilraine, supplied by Trigger

In the participants’ words

Trigger’s programme page carries two comments from people who have taken part in its weekly workshops, which have included music and songwriting with Alphonse Touna, dance and movement with Emily Orme, and theatre with Hester Welch.

“In this place [the Initial Accommodation centre], we don’t know if we will be here next week,” said one participant, Neo. “Earlier, when I was drumming, it felt like a release. It is good to be present and not think about what will happen next week.”

Another, Mizan, said: “For me, exploring my problems in the sessions is therapeutic. I look at difficult problems and make it something positive.”

Adults and children eating at a long table covered with a white cloth in a hall decorated with orange and yellow garlands
Families at the long tables in Shipham Village Hall. Photo: Samatha Gilraine, supplied by Trigger
Volunteers in black gloves spooning rice and chicken from serving trays onto guests' plates
Plates being filled at the serving tables. Photo: Samatha Gilraine, supplied by Trigger

Trigger thanked everyone who came, the artists and food providers who took part, and the volunteers who helped run the afternoon.

Close view of trays of rice, greens and chicken with volunteers serving and guests holding plates
The Cameroonian menu on the serving line. Photo: Samatha Gilraine, supplied by Trigger
An older woman in a floral top dancing with her arms out, with a volunteer in an orange apron smiling behind her
Dancing in the hall during FEASTING. Photo: Samatha Gilraine, supplied by Trigger
A man in a red cap and purple Trigger T-shirt dancing with gloved fists raised
A volunteer in a Trigger T-shirt dancing in the hall. Photo: Samatha Gilraine, supplied by Trigger

What it means for you: how to help

Trigger says volunteers are central to Humanity Club and it wants to hear from people nearby who could help with the weekly activities, occasional cultural outings and events. It is also looking for artists, educators and wellness or fitness practitioners in the South West who would like to run sessions.

  • Volunteer or offer a session: email anne@triggerstuff.co.uk, or read more on the Humanity Club page.
  • Give a laptop or tablet: Trigger is accepting working laptops and tablets, wiped and ready to use, with a working charger. Contact the same address.
  • Donate: one-off or regular donations go through the DonorBox link on the Humanity Club page.
A smiling man in a blue cap and grey tracksuit crouching with his arm around a young boy on a grass field
A man and a boy on the grass outside on the day of FEASTING. Photo: Samatha Gilraine, supplied by Trigger

FEASTING was held at Shipham Village Hall on Saturday 10 October 2026. Details and quotes from Trigger’s write-up of the event and its Humanity Club page, checked on 15 October 2026.