Whether the community now has an Independent MP, or made the seat marginal or is in the earlier stages of community building, you have activated your community and people are engaged in politics like never before. Communities now have agency, they have the power to make real change at a local and national level. Celebrate this achievement!

It’s important to remember winning means much more than electing a candidate.

After an election campaign the team will be worn out and in need of a well deserved rest, but there are tasks worth doing before everyone takes a break and memories are fresh, and to ensure a smooth handover for next time. For example:

review each component of your campaign strategy and analyse what worked and what didn’t, what are the lessons for next time?
write campaign reports for the different components of the campaign (eg volunteer management, logistics, comms, fundraising, events, etc)
ensure all the digital assets, databases, resources and reports are well filed for next time
thank volunteers, donors and everyone involved
set up a regular meeting for interested volunteers who want to stay connected – it might be social at first, projects can arise from it
celebrate your successes.