AN art school graduate has received a national award for her work to raise awareness of mental health issues and personal wellbeing.

Catherine Hood from Sherborne, who graduated from the Arts University Bournemouth last year, won a bronze accolade at the prestigious Creative Conscience Awards.

The event aims to celebrate design that inspires people to positively change their lives and the lives of those around them.

Catherine said that her work considers mental wellbeing, human issues and experiences, and past projects have covered subjects such as mindfulness and loneliness.

She received the award for her exploration of mindfulness in the form of an illustrated guide, which aimed to encouraging people to focus on their mental health just as much as physical wellbeing.

She added: "I am very passionate about raising awareness for mental health, to erase the stigma attached to it, and for mental health to be treated as equal to physical health.

"I believe that an individual’s mental wellbeing should be as well considered and cared for as their physical fitness, and in this guide I wished to give the reader an easy and helpful way to fit mindfulness into their everyday lives.

"Mindfulness is a type of therapy which teaches you to take a moment out of worrying for the future or past and to just be aware of the present.

"This leads to a more considered, calm approach to everyday difficulties and stresses, and therefore leads to be a better quality of life.

"It is important to me that whilst my work looks at serious and worthwhile subjects that I am passionate about, I treat the subject matter playfully and positively, in a manner which invites and welcomes the audience."

Catherine will soon be starting work as an art worker, but will spend her free time continuing with illustration and exploring subjects she is passionate about.

She was also recently highly commended in The Macmillan Prize for Illustration 2016.

Rachel Hughes, who is also an AUB Illustration graduate, received a gold accolade at the awards for her work on animal neglect for the RSPCA.