The foundation stone for The Journalists’ Charity’s new £3.9m care home has been laid by Lord Rothermere, the organisation’s president.

The chairman of the Daily Mail and General Trust, which owns Northcliffe Newspapers, attended a ceremony at the site of the new home in Dorking in Surrey.

He also gave a pledge to donate £250,000 from Harmsworth and Daily Mail funds towards the cost of building the state-of-the-art home to replace Sandy Cross, also in Dorking.

He said he was pleased that a charity which Charles Dickens helped to set up in 1860 was continuing to help journalists of the next generation.

Journalists’ Charity chairman Nick Jones said: “We’re enormously grateful for Lord Rothermere’s help and encouragement.

“He and other leading figures in the media industry have come forward with tremendous support for this essential project.”

The new home for retired journalists and their partners is due to open in March next year and will include full nursing accommodation for 20 residents, with flats also built for a further eight residents.

It is needed because Sandy Cross, built 35 years ago, no longer meets the required standards of care or accommodation.

An appeal to raise £6m is currently under way to cover the £3.9m construction costs, plus fees and the loss of income from the old home and other payments.

So far £2m has been committed, including donations from Tindle Newspapers and News International.

The charity’s new website, www.journalistscharity.org.uk has also been launched, following its name change last year.

It is hoped the site will help raise the profile of the charity and includes full details of its work and how you can donate money.

Nick said: “It has been an absolutely momentous day. We have finally come into the modern age.”

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