David Sainsbury has also been associated with the Institute for Public Policy Research and Progress.

Although Lord Sainsbury has retired, he is Life President of the retailer and continues to take an active interest in the business ; these days he tours stores with present chief executive Justin King, as well as being the family member always attending J Sainsbury plc Annual General Meetings.

On 13 January 2006, the company was notified that Sir Timothy Sainsbury no longer has a notifiable interest in the company's issued share capital, such interest now being below 3 %.

Today, the group owns over 1, 000 stores but no family member has been involved in management since David Sainsbury retired in 1998.

Between 1996 ( the year he rejoined Labour ) and 2006 ( when he stood down as a government minister ), Sainsbury donated £ 16 million pounds to the Labour Party, usually in batches of £ 1 million or £ 2 million each year.

In 1973 Sir Robert and Lisa, Lady Sainsbury donated to the university their collection of over 300 artworks and objects, which they had been accumulating since the 1930s.

At the same time the African and Oceanic collections that had been temporarily housed in 6 Burlington Gardens were given a new gallery in the North Wing funded by the Sainsbury family-with the donation valued at £ 25 million.

The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts at the western end of the main teaching wall designed by Norman Foster to house the art collection of Sir Robert and Lady Lisa Sainsbury, and " Sportspark ", a multi-sports facilities built in 2001 thanks to a £ 14. 5 million grant from Sport England Lottery Fund.

When David Sainsbury announced his intention to give away £ 1billion to charity in 2005, his 23 % stake got sold down, eventually to 12. 9 % by early 2007.

After the 1983 election Sainsbury prompted the party to give more priority to recruiting members and finding a firm financial base ; he was by far the biggest donor to the party, giving about £ 750, 000 between 1981 and 1987.

It was reported that in April 2006, Sainsbury, " faced a possible probe into an alleged breach of the ministerial code after admitting he had failed to disclose a £ 2 million loan he had made to the Labour Party-despite publicly stating that he had.

In April 2011, Cambridge's new Sainsbury Laboratory was opened, named after Lord Sainsbury, and paid for by an £ 82 million donation from the Gatsby Foundation made in November 2008.

In 1985 he and his two brothers provided funds to construct a new wing of the National Gallery, London at a cost of around £ 50 million, which opened in 1991 as the Sainsbury Wing.

Sainsbury and his two brothers funded an extension to the National Gallery at a cost of around £ 50 million, which opened in 1991 as the Sainsbury Wing.

J Sainsbury launched a counter-bid of £ 210 million but this would have led to a break up of the Wm Low portfolio as they had intended to maintain the best stores and dispose of the rest.

David Sainsbury founded the Gatsby Charitable Foundation in 1967.

He is noted for his philanthropy, founding the Gatsby Charitable Foundation in 1967 and the Sainsbury Management Fellowship scheme in 1987.

* The Sainsbury Laboratory funded by The Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts

* The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, funded by The Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts

Campaign for Better Transport acknowledges the following organisations as sponsors of its charitable trust: Department for Transport, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Freshfield Foundation, George W Cadbury Charitable Trust, Gumby Corporation, Hillcote Trust, KeyMed Ltd, London Councils, Merseytravel, Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation, Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts and Steel Charitable Trust.

Newsquest on 8 August 2007 started offering users of its Greater London titles ' websites downloadable supermarket coupons, which could be redeemed against at supermarkets including Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury ’ s and Morrisons for money off a range of goods from cranberry products to canned pet food.

The current college visitor is the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, Lord Sainsbury of Turville.

On 20 May 2011, Lord Sainsbury was formally proposed by the Nominations Board of Cambridge University to succeed the Duke of Edinbugh as Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

Lord Sainsbury is the former Chairman of J Sainsbury plc and current Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

In addition, the chancellors of the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford ( currently Lord Sainsbury of Turville and Lord Patten of Barnes ) both serve as Distinguished Honorary Fellows.

* 1974 – 1978, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK

Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery, London Inside the Seattle Art Museum Wu Hall ( left ), designed by Robert Venturi, at Princeton University

CETL status was bestowed on the Mental Health and Social Work Academic Group at Middlesex University in partnership with the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health in 2005.

The new building was opened on 14 September 2012 by the College Visitor and Chancellor of the University, the Lord Sainsbury of Turville.

Although well integrated with JIC, The Sainsbury Laboratory is closely affiliated with the University of East Anglia.

* Sainsbury Centre at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, designed by Norman Foster.

The new building was opened on 14 September 2012 by the College Visitor and Chancellor of the University, the Lord Sainsbury of Turville.

* Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia

The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts is an art gallery and museum located on the campus of the University of East Anglia, Norwich in the United Kingdom.

* Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England.

Head of Sainsbury Laboratory 1994-7, 2003 – present, and Professor at University of East Anglia 1997-.

During the sell down of the family stake between 2005-2008 from 35 % to 15 %, it was Lord Sainsbury who was the last major family shareholder to reduce his stake, in his case from 4 % to 3. 89 %, the 0. 11 % sold having belonged to a non-beneficial trust held by him.

Construction of the final phase of the centre was finished in 1989, with the J Sainsbury supermarket opened in September and the remainder of the final phase of the complex opening on 14 November, incorporating multiple Debenhams and British Home Stores as some of the last big retail names to move to stores within the complex.

His father Sir Robert Sainsbury gave almost his entire stake in the company to David Sainsbury, his only son, whereas his uncle Alan Sainsbury split his stake in the business between his sons John Davan Sainsbury, Simon Sainsbury and Tim Sainsbury.

It is believed that Robert Sainsbury gave David Sainsbury his entire shareholding ( rather than split it between David and his three daughters ) so that David would have more votes at the table, considering JD had a forceful, autocratic style of leadership, whereas David was always more cautious ( and always seemed less interested in the family business than JD ( David having only joined Sainsbury's personnel department as he did not get the grades to become a scientist )).

It is believed that Sir Robert Sainsbury gave David Sainsbury his entire shareholding ( rather than split it between David and his three daughters ) so that David would have more votes at the table, considering John Davan Sainsbury, who became Chairman in 1969 on Sir Robert Sainsbury's retirement, had a forceful, autocratic style of leadership, whereas David was always more cautious ( and always seemed less interested in the family business than John Davan " Mr JD " ( David having only joined Sainsbury's personnel department as he did not get the grades to become a scientist )).