Increasing members and supporters of the Journalists’ Charity, and ensuring the organisation is back on a firm financial footing, will be the priorities of new chairman Robert Warren.

The News of the World executive editor will take over from Nick Jones on January 1, and he told HoldtheFrontPage that he hoped to persuade more young journalists to make a commitment to the charity.

For the past two years, Robert, (70), has served as the charity’s vice-chairman, and along with Nick helped persuade many media organisations, including News International and Daily Mail and General Trust, to put forward money to pay for the building of a new care home.

But he says the project has also seen the charity spend a lot of its capital, so efforts must now be doubled to “keep the show on the road and replace the money spent”.

He said: “Nick will be a hard act to follow and it will be my job to keep the momentum going and see the project through and the new home open next year.

“People always thought of us as a rich charity, but those funds have been depleted enormously.

“The charity pays out a quarter of a million pounds in grants every year to people who have run into trouble, either financial, health or acts of God.

“We have meetings every month and you hear terrible stories about former journalists aged 80 who can’t even afford to heat their house, and we’ve got to make sure we always have money for that.”

Robert began his journalism career on the Hampshire Chronicle in Winchester, a time he “enjoyed enormously”, and spent time working at the Coventry Evening Telegraph.

He also worked in Canada before joining the News of the World, where he spent seven years as a reporter and 20 years as news editor.

The executive editor retired in 2000, but was only away for a week before returning to the paper where he still works three days a week.

He said he joined the Journalists’ Charity as after enjoying a great career it was “pay back time”, and after four years on its council he became vice-chairman.

Now he is hoping to persuade more young journalists to become a member, which cost £50 for life, or a supporter, making a more regular donation.

Robert said: “I think young people can afford to make a small commitment to a charity that will look after them should they fall on hard times.

“So many people who have been a journalist have had a good life and like to pay something back and help people who haven’t been so lucky.”

Bill Hagerty, editor of British Journalism Review, is to succeed Robert as vice-chairman.

For more information on how you can support the charity, click here.