Necessity was the grandmother of invention for Fran Yorke.

She has become a supergran by setting up her own internet business for grandparents.

Mrs Yorke, 62, decided to join the cyber revolution after having trouble buying items she needed to look after her grandchildren.

She said: “Caring for my first grandchild four years ago made me aware how modern baby equipment is not user-friendly for grandmothers and grandfathers.

“It’s heavy, difficult to use and bulky.

“Starting with the pushchair, travel cot and high chair, I decided to track down products that were easy to lift, easy to use and easy to store.”

She said a dedicated website could have saved her time.

So, when she found the items she wanted, she decided to share the knowledge with others, which prompted her to set up her own website.

She added: “Gradually, I found more and more products, big and small, that a grandparent might find useful.”

Mrs Yorke, who lives in Forthampton, near Tewkesbury, said her only thought in the beginning was to start the website to help other grandparents.

But the site has proved so popular that she has begun to turn a profit.

Married to artist Vincent $, she has three daughters, who all went to the Abbey School in Tewkesbury and then to Cheltenham Ladies’ College. She has four grandchildren, Grace, Isabella, Jim and Romilly.

Mrs Yorke feels that her website offers a selection of products which have been tested with the needs of grandparents in mind.

As more and more grandparents become involved in looking after their grandchildren, Mrs Yorke said children’s equipment is not always easy for older people to use.

She said: “We grandparents play a very important role in childcare and yet it goes largely unnoticed outside the family.”

The website can be found at www.grannytakesagrip.com

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