1973: Edward Heath was Prime Minister, the UK joined the European Economic Community, David Bowie and Elton John topped the charts – and the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts was formed.
The 1970s were a period of breakthrough – from the introduction of the decimal system to the birth of the first child through IVF – and also of huge upheaval. Two Conservative governments bookended the decade, with a pair of Labour Prime Ministers in-between. Unrest was a dominant theme, with violence in Ireland and a swathe of trade union strikes during 1978’s ‘Winter of Discontent’.
In a context of declining living standards, grassroots activism became more prominent, along with the rise of advocacy organisations working for systemic change. Many existing charities refocused their efforts towards campaigning and advocacy, while new groups such as Shelter and Child Poverty Action Group were formed. There was also an increasing public engagement with charitable giving, driven in part by media coverage of humanitarian crises and social injustice at home and abroad.
Against this backdrop, SFCT began as a formal coalescence of the family Trusts under a unified umbrella. The Gatsby Charitable Foundation, The Headley Trust, The Linbury Trust and The Monument Trust were in the initial group, with Hugh de Quetteville hired as SFCT’s first Director.
A lean team started at the Sainsbury head office at Stamford House, Blackfriars, before moving to New Row, Charing Cross. From the start, family members were a presence in the offices – determined to enact meaningful and lasting change in a country that felt in flux.
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