As the south of England turned largely blue at the end of last week, except of course in Brighton, there was a feeling of the country having shifted to the right.

Many on the political left are still reeling and they have had to face up to the fact that a large proportion of the electorate did not, after all, share their views.

As has been written by commentators this week, we have all managed to surround ourselves with the voices of those who we agree with, especially on social media.

Now those on the left wing are so angry about the General Election there is an outpouring of emotion from some quarters, both online and through the demonstrations that have already taken place in London.

A total of 63.1% of voters did not vote for the Tories and some of those voters refuse to accept the result.

At the moment it does not feel as if this anger will just “blow over”, whatever one’s personal politics.

Looking at this interest in the election positively, could it be that British politics, and more importantly people’s perception of and engagement with politics, has changed beyond all recognition?

A precedent was set with the 2014 referendum for Scottish independence, where, although the result was “no” (just) to independence, the voting public was galvanised like never before.

This did not go unnoticed in other parts of the UK though the turnout for the 2015 General Election was nowhere near the 84.6% of the referendum.

At the very local level, left-leaning individuals and groups within Sussex are discussing what action can be taken next to make their voices heard.

It is not all about which party is in Government on a national level. And we will probably have to wait another five years before we can vote again, and even then with the first past the post system many people will again not have a Government that they voted for.

The power of collective and community action at a local and grassroots level cannot be overestimated. There may be things we cannot change, but there is much to do to make our communities richer and more cohesive.

There are many people whose voices are not being heard and who are struggling with insecure employment, housing, debt…the list goes on.

Building bridges between those of all political shades has got to be important. The election result has been divisive, but it is important for common ground to be found.

That’s why I applaud Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas, who has pledged to work with other progressives across parties in the absence of proportional representation.

She is rightly congratulated for shining out as someone who speaks firmly and stands up for what she believes in. As a lone Green voice in Parliament she is free to do so, not having to fall in line in a group under the guidance of a whip.

On a local level, it will be incredibly valuable to find that common ground. After all, if you asked a sample of people in another context to set out the things that are important to them, I am certain the answers given would be less polarised than the comments flying around social media in the wake of the election, ranging from self-congratulation and euphoria to a sense that we are all doomed.

We are not doomed, however, despite having difficult times ahead, including more cuts. There are plenty of positive stories to shout about, that have nothing whatsoever to do with party politics.

Take, for example, the heart warming story this week of readers raising the substantial sum of £16,000 in just 24 hours for a little girl who appeared in the Argus. The funds will cover 18 months of life-altering treatment for nine-year-old Bethany Henry, who suffers from a rare condition leading to tumours developing on her brain, liver and kidneys.

This is an example of people showing empathy and generosity towards complete strangers; when individuals work together it does not take a lot to make a huge difference. In the case of this family, the donations mean they may not have to sell their house to pay for treatment for their child.

If such change can be effected in 24 hours, imagine what could happen if whole communities were to unite with the aim of making their voices heard on a local, regional and national level, rather than dividing along party lines. The future is ours for the making.