Veteran journalist Jim Brennan is launching an electronic newsletter for the over 80s.

Derby-based Jim, who turns 86 next week, is calling the not-for-profit enterprise eighties_united.

He’s targeting so-called web-savvy “silver surfers”, of whom there are a million-plus around the UK.

Jim said: “There are many octgenerians fortunate enough to be able to work (mainly unpaid), and have access to e-mail and the internet.

“Especially now, with the enormous increases in basic living costs (gas, electricity and water), and inadequate, means-tested basic state pensions (still 25p extra at 80), there is much to do in this common cause by those of us able to do our bit in our local communities.

“There are several well-established charities, including Age Concern and Help the Aged, but they need all the help they can get themselves in their dealings with big government and big business.

”The eighties_united e-mail news-viewsletter includes significant facts and figures, and also helpful news and comment to which readers are invited to make a contribution.”

Jim has worked as a columnist and contributor for the Derby Telegraph since 1955 after an illustrious career with various national newspapers.

The focus of all of Jim’s not-for-profit journalism is on public policy, but non-party political in approach, and also dedicated to fairness. For several years he attended the annual conferences of the major political parties to lobby for pensioners on behalf of the National Union of Journalists and the National Pensioners Convention.

He recently launched online newsletters to cover three more cities in the east midlands and boost his electronic Guardian Network circulation, adding the Leicester Guardian, the Lincoln Guardian, and the Nottingham Guardian to his network of “news-viewsletters”.

Jim can be contacted at [email protected] – the first issue of eighties_united will be sent free to Eighties inquirers on request.