For many families, life has been increasingly difficult since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. It has affected every aspect of our lives; the way we work, travel and spend time with those we love and care about. It has not only been emotionally difficult, but also financially uncertain, and for some families this has had a life changing impact.

Families already affected by poverty and deprivation face additional challenges and some families are finding themselves unable to manage.

Access to basic necessities such as food can be difficult and poverty in itself can also be stigmatising, having an adverse impact on children and young people’s emotional wellbeing, education and later lives.

According to government statistics, 30% of UK children are currently affected by poverty.

At this stage it is unclear what the long term impact on poverty in the UK might be, but we know that Covid-19 is negatively impacting families in many different ways.

In particular, access to healthy food has been a real problem for some communities already affected by higher levels of deprivation.

But thankfully, your donations have been making a difference, helping children to access nutritious home-cooked meals over the last few months during lockdown.

With the help of funding from BBC Children in Need, Possibilities for Each & Every Kid (PEEK) have been operating a community mobile kitchen in Glasgow, preparing over 500 meals every day for distribution into local communities in and around the city.

Not only do children have a hot filling meal, families also receive a food bag of essential supplies like fruit, bread and pasta so they can make their own meals and spend much needed family time together.

In these increasingly uncertain times, this crucial work will only grow more important. But thanks to your continued support we can keep funding projects like these, helping to ease some of the difficulties of the current crisis and provide essential support to the families who need it.

BBC Children in Need is currently funding over 1,000 grants to the value of £54 million supporting children and young people affected by poverty and deprivation.

This includes our annual commitment of £3 million to the Emergency Essentials programme that supports children and families in crisis.

In addition to this, a further £1.2million has been awarded to the Emergency Essentials programme and over £1 million to over 330 Booster Grants to respond to increased needs as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.