Your campaigning guide for local councils

In May 2026 local elections have given us new councils in many parts of the country. Councils make decisions that shape our everyday lives. From warm, affordable homes and local transport to green spaces and jobs.

These elections are not the end of the road. In some cases, they’ve created opportunities for us to keep pushing for change, in others they’ve set new challenges for us to rise to — putting pressure on your council to hold firm on what has been achieved already.
 

Listening to people in our communities helps build support for community campaigns. 

Over summer 2026 we’ll continue to run listening activities and build connections in our communities. 

Get started with activities like running surveys, stalls, partner events and community meet ups. Or deepen what you’ve already done by collecting messages about key themes that have arisen.  

Through these activities you’ll find out the top local priorities that connect everyday concerns to climate justice. This will be a key tool for continuing to engage your community and councillors.

In some areas, councils can become more difficult to engage after the elections. This might be particularly true when political control has shifted or new councillors are opposed to climate action.

In these contexts, building relationships in your community, doing listening activities and having a Charter for Hope are especially important. These will help demonstrate that your asks are backed by your community and make it harder for councils to ignore local priorities.