TWO women who were forced into redundancy by the recession have gone back to the future to launch their new business.

Paula Smith and Christine Pearce, who previously worked together as directors of a training company which folded, are working to set up an online business for people who own period homes.

Restoration & Beyond, which will go live in the summer, brings together companies selling goods and services for people renovating or maintaining houses built before 1939.

Ms Pearce, from Hartlepool, decided to set up the business after facing difficulties sourcing craftsmen and supplies for her Edwardian home.

She said: “It was through my frustration, I had one of those moments where you say ‘why can’t I get ... ?’ Then the germ started.

“I’ve been renovating my house since 1991 and it’s been a long and expensive process. It’s been quite an ordeal – one of the hardest things has been trying to buy 14in skirting board. You can just go to B&Q.

“Twenty percent of housing stock in the UK is classed as period – ones built before the Second World War.”

Building materials and techniques changed post-war and Ms Pearce says the general market is now geared towards homes built after 1945.

Restoration & Beyond aims to bring together suppliers for items from lime mortar to bricks and artwork, to thatchers, stonemasons and people who point roofs.

Mrs Pearce said: “We aim to provide a low cost but effective marketing platform for SMEs to increase their online presence and secure more sales. This will allow those without websites to have one at a comparatively low cost in terms of time and money and those with websites the opportunity to sell online without having to set up an e-commerce site.

In the current climate, if small companies can unite to help each other and by pooling resources, then together we may have a better chance of survival. The knock-on effect will be to bring positive publicity to the North East in a sector that we currently have little presence.”