A quilt artist held an exhibition in aid of mental health charity Mind this week.

Jackie Smith, who is helping the charity to raise money for a mental health 'first aid course', chose the the Biblical creation story for her week-long exhibition at Diss Methodist Church on Victoria Road.

It consisted of eight quilts – one to represent the beginning, as described at the start of John's gospel in the New Testament, and one each for the seven days of creation depicted in the Old Testament.

Jackie, who lives in Coney Weston, has been making quilts for about 30 years and also teaches the craft. She has exhibited around the country, including at Norwich Cathedral, and is heading off to Lindesfarne in the summer.

She said: 'The theme of the exhibition is the creation, but what I've put into the quilts might not be what everyone sees in them – it's everyone's own interpretation and I like to hear about what other people see.'

Jackie, who has a daughter with mental health problems and attends a Mind carers group in Diss, added: 'We want to raise awareness of mental health issues. The more people talk about it, the more it's brought out into the open and so the easier it is for people to seek help if they need it.'

The aim of the first aid course is to help people identify the signs and symptoms of mental health problems, such as depression, because they are easier to deal with if recognised early.