The great glaciers which shape our society are on the move again. In the last decade, technology has transformed how we communicate, a generation has grown up in the shadow of recession and the baby boom has become a retirement rush. The boundaries of political possibility have been smashed once more, and the real ice caps have continued to melt.

This is the context in which I was asked to lead Civil Society Futures, the independent inquiry into how English civil society can flourish in a fast-changing world. It’s a context in which many seem afraid. But my one hope in this inquiry is that we can remind civil society organisations that we should not fear change: change is why we exist.