In late August, at a small gallery in central London, two teenage boys inspect a large, printed photograph. With the bright lights and crowds of onlookers, it appears just like any other art exhibition. Except this one is different.

The boys, Jeremiah and Elijah, are regular attendees at the Society for the Advancement of Black Arts (SABA) in North West London. It’s a small project, part-funded through BBC Children in Need's We Move FWD programme, and it uses creative activities like music and art to tackle social exclusion.

Through SABA, Jeremiah and Elijah met Aneesa Dawoojee: a multi-award-winning portrait and social documentary photographer. Much of Aneesa’s work focuses on countering stereotypes and celebrating the ordinary people and communities around her.

With Aneesa’s mentorship, Jeremiah and Elijah produced every single photograph in the gallery.

“Young people need guidance, yes, but also autonomy, respect and the freedom to develop in their own way.” – Aneesa Dawoojee

This kind of work is known as Youth Social Action. It encourages young people to use their unique voices to represent themselves and others in their communities.

Young people's ability to be positively solution-oriented, to challenge the status quo and to speak out for themselves and others has not been dampened by years of being told what is and isn’t possible.

This is why youth-led work is one of the most powerful tools in communities. It enables young people to become part of the solution to challenges around mental health and wellbeing, poverty, racism, violence and a range of other issues.

“I felt blessed being on the photography project, especially being with Jeremiah. Being with my friends, I was able to just enjoy the moment. Something I learnt was if you have an opportunity, take advantage of it.” – Elijah

For Jeremiah and Elijah, Youth Social Action gave them the opportunity to see their impactful work displayed and their voices heard.

However, there is still a great deal more to be done to pull young people from the margins into ongoing conversations, to hold decision-makers to account at all levels and to continuously question, adapt and improve the ways in which we support the young in spaces of social action.

At BBC Children in Need, we know that we must continue to provide platforms for young people in every aspect of their lives - within their own communities and across the UK.

They alone understand the extent of the challenges they must face and the depths to which they are affected by inequality.

“For me, it’s about giving young people the tools to tell their own stories and see themselves differently. Sometimes that’s as simple as putting a camera in their hands and letting them talk through how they see the world”. - Aneesa

The ‘Through our Eyes’ exhibition was produced with help from BBC Children in Need’s We Move FWD programme.

We Move FWD is a 10-year commitment to Black children and young people – along with their communities – intended to provide the opportunities they need to create a world in which they can thrive.

Supported by both BBC Radio 1Xtra and the #iWill fund, the programme has seen nearly £4 million invested in projects across the UK that empower young Black people to use their voice, ideas and resources to tackle the social issues that matter most to them.