For too long, towns at the end of train lines and cities that once were bustling manufacturing hubs have been left behind by politics. In their glory days, places in my home county of Yorkshire such as Sheffield and Hull were heartlands of British industry. Building ships to protect the nation, making steel that was sold worldwide – these places thrived.

Deindustrialisation and a lack of government investment have robbed these communities of well-paid jobs, opportunities and, for many, hope. They are scarred by job losses and unemployment; shops have fled from their high streets; and the lives of their young people are marred by uncertainty. These communities have been failed by politicians on both sides of parliament’s benches.

Deborah, a Momentum member in Lancaster, didn’t wait for the government to help those going hungry in her community

But this week Labour has turned a corner. It launched a new, properly resourced department at the party’s HQ, committed to community organising in the places that need attention the most. Never mind Theresa May’s PR reshuffle – Labour is going to transform deindustrialised towns across the country now, even while in opposition.

The idea is simple. Change doesn’t only come from Westminster. In fact, frequently Westminster is the last place to understand that change is happening. Instead, it comes from ordinary people in their local areas, working together to make things better.

Take Deborah, a Momentum member in Lancaster. She didn’t wait for the government to help those going hungry in her community as a result of the government’s callous and failing policies. Instead she set up a local food club where anybody can become a member, pay £3 a week and receive £30-£40 of food that would have otherwise gone to waste.

The idea is to help people who are up against it, but in a way that builds community and solidarity. Everybody pays their subs, so everybody is equal. The food clubs then become a springboard for other community activity and avoid the pitfalls of creating givers and receivers. They’ve inspired so many people that another seven food clubs have opened across Lancaster and Morecambe, with more in the pipeline, and Deborah now plans to open a food depot run on the same principles.

Labour’s support for this way of doing politics is a clear break with the top-down centralisation of the New Labour years. Not only will it make a concrete difference to people’s lives now – demonstrating the potential of a Corbyn government – but it also represents a practical implementation of a fundamentally new politics, one that values the contribution of ordinary people and recognises their ability to change their communities for the better.

It goes without saying that in order to transform Britain we’ll need a majority in parliament. But we will also need to build the skills, expertise and confidence of party members. This means a political party becoming a real vehicle for community empowerment – and more than just an election-winning machine. For many this is about returning to Labour’s roots, remembering that the party was born from a movement. For the new generation, it’s about developing a culture of solidarity that they may well have never experienced.

Organisations such as Citizens UK have been doing just that for some time, helping to win the living wage and tackle bad housing. Across the pond, community organising is a fixed feature in American neighbourhoods that face gruelling social injustices and inequality. Importantly, at the heart of struggles for better lives and living conditions, campaigns are won.

The seeds of a mass movement Labour party are already there. Labour members in Doncaster worked with the community to end rip-off lending by the rent-to-own firm BrightHouse – winning a payout of close to £15m for affected customers. Similarly, Momentum members across south London organised a community lobby to stop the cinema firm Picturehouse – which has faced vibrant protests over its refusal to pay the living wage – from winning a new contract in the area.

For many of us, imagining what Labour’s new organising unit will reap is an exciting prospect. Getting into seaside and deindustrialised towns to rebuild trust and win campaigns that change lives will provide a bastion of hope in a renewed Labour party. The only way we will truly transform society is from the bottom as well as the top – through powerful government policy, and action within our communities.

Alongside the new community organising department, Momentum will play its part. Building on our training programme, we’ll be equipping a new network of prospective councillors with the skills, resources and support to help their communities help themselves. No doubt 2018 is set to be a year where more Labour members than ever will be mobilised.

And Labour’s turn towards being a member-led, movement party should scare the Tories. Not only did we outnumber them on the ground at the last general election, we will now be making a difference in the constituencies where it matters the most. With the weight of the party behind every community campaign, Labour members will be supported to transform their communities – soon to be backed up by a Labour government that will transform the country.

• Laura Parker is Momentum’s national coordinator