A YOUNG photographer has been chosen to show his work at a London gallery as part of a national exhibition of photography by young homeless people.Tom Insole, 16, of Cangle Foyer, Haverhill, will exhibit his work at the Taking a Positive View exhibition at the Proud Central Gallery until March 7.

A YOUNG photographer has been chosen to show his work at a London gallery as part of a national exhibition of photography by young homeless people.

Tom Insole, 16, of Cangle Foyer, Haverhill, will exhibit his work at the Taking a Positive View exhibition at the Proud Central Gallery until March 7.

It marks the climax of a national project begun in May last year by the Foyer Federation – the UK's leading educational youth homelessness charity.

The project aims to give its homeless residents an outlet for expressing their feelings while at the same time developing their confidence.

Tom said: "I moved to Cangle last year with hardly any knowledge of photography and living independently, but as the weeks passed I learned more about life in the outside world.

"I had a little background knowledge and wanted to go further, so every week on a Tuesday evening I went to a photography club. The more I learned, the more I enjoyed the experience."

More than 350 photographs were submitted as part of the project and the top 100 photographs were chosen by a panel of judges, which included photographer Terry O'Neil, Melissa Turner, deputy picture editor of Marie Claire; Andrew Warren, from the board of Cap Gemini Ernst & Young and Alex Proud, director of Proud Galleries.

Carolyn Hayman, chief executive of the Foyer Federation, said: "This is a show which exudes hope and determination.

"One of the first things that struck us about the images we received was the quality – all of the 100 photographs in the exhibition provide some real and substantial evidence of photographic and artistic talent."

Mr Proud said: "These remarkable images show how young people view the problems that have led them to become homeless.

"But at the same time the pictures offer glimpses of their hopes for the future so the overall effect is extremely optimistic."