A unique exhibition launching at City Screen on Sunday will aim to help banish the stigma around caring for someone with an addiction.

The ‘Stitch away the Stigma’ exhibition has been organised by York textile artist Natalie Needham in support of York Carers Centre.

Holgate-based textile artist Natalie was supporting a close family member who has an alcohol addiction.

In May last year, unable to sleep properly and feeling stressed and frustrated because she ‘never felt like I had helped enough’, she began hand-stitching her thoughts onto scraps of fabric.

She found it calmed and relaxed her before going to bed. “I genuinely slept better that evening,” she said.

Then she realised that, across the country, there must be countless other people like her in a similar position who might also benefit from 'stitching away' their feelings.

She launched the ‘Stitch Away the Stigma’ campaign, posting fabric packs nationwide to others affected by the addiction of a loved one.

The campaign took off on social media – and people from as far afield as Cornwall and Glasgow stitched their thoughts onto scraps of her hand-dyed fabric.

Natalie has now turned all those fabric pieces into a wall-hanging which, from Sunday, will be on display in the exhibition space at York City Screen.

There will be a special launch event for the exhibition from 1-3pm on Sunday, which will include a preview of the artwork, and a chance to hear the stories of some of those who contributed – plus a raffle in support of York Carers Centre's substance misuse support group.

Tickets for the launch event, priced £8, are available from eventbrite.co.uk