News of the World executive editor Robert Warren is to become the new chairman of the Journalists’ Charity.

The veteran national newspaper journalist, who has enjoyed a career spanning more than 40 years, will take over from Nick Jones on January 1.

Former BBC political correspondent Nick has been chairman for the past two years, during which time he has helped raise the charity’s profile across the industry and overseen it change its name from the Newspaper Press Fund.

During his time as chairman the charity also decided to go ahead with the construction of a new state-of-the-art care home in Dorking to replace Sandy Cross, which is due to open next Spring.

Since early 2005 the charity has raised more than £1.5m towards the building of the £3.9m home.

Robert, who is also a former news editor of the News of the World, will help to spearhead the continuation of that work during his two-year term as chairman in 2007/2008.

Nick said: “It has been a real privilege helping to lead the Journalists’ Charity through two pretty momentous years.

“Securing a higher profile for our charitable work and deciding to rebuild our residential care home have undoubtedly been two significant achievements.

“When I became chairman in January 2005 the trustees were approaching a point of no return: we either had to bite the bullet and go ahead with the construction of a new state-of-the-art residential home or retreat from providing what we all convinced will be a vital facility for another generation of former journalists and their partners who might in the future require residential or nursing care.”

He added: “As a former broadcaster I was anxious – as I know were my fellow trustees – to raise the profile of our work and to attract much more support from TV, radio and online journalists.

“What for me has been of great personal satisfaction has been the opportunity to represent the Journalists’ Charity at social events and media awards up and down the country and the chance to meet young journalists from across the industry and to find they understand that a charity to assist needy journalists is an essential safeguard in an industry which is going through rapid change and which inevitably has some personal casualties, the very people whom we are there to help.”

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