TWO pairs of hands are better than one, and that could not ring more true for Richard and Jonathon Crane.

The identical twins are spearheading a charity campaign to lend a hand – or four – to elderly people in need.

The brothers from Mold, who are difficult to tell apart, are taking part in a new Age Concern North East Wales scheme called Home Solutions.

Richard and Jonathon, 19, visit the homes of clients and will tackle anything from cleaning to assisted shopping tasks and even dog walking.

Richard says he and his brother are finding the experience of working as part of the Home Solutions team really rewarding.

He said: “We get to know our clients; they are really friendly and appreciate what we do.

“We’ll clean windows, dust furniture, vacuum carpets, whatever the client requires.We’ll tackle anything really, but it’s not just about cleaning.

“We will assist with a doctor’s appointment by picking up the client and taking them to their surgery or for something like an eye appointment at the opticians.”

All profits from the service are ploughed back into the charity.

After launching last summer, the brothers, both former pupils at the Alun School in Mold, have got their sights set on expansion.

Jonathon said: “We actually started in August last year and have really got into the job. We are getting more and more clients now and have no plans to do anything other than working for Home Solutions for the foreseeable future.

“We don’t always work together and we each have about 15 regular clients, although that number is growing quite quickly.

“We cover Wrexham too although when we get more staff we will concentrate on Flintshire.”

Tracey Deans, manager of Home Solutions, says the twins are certainly proving a hit with female customers.

She joked: “The twins are very popular with some of our older clients, particularly the ladies. They have proved to be excellent listeners and they are really appreciated for their hard work and dedication.”

She added: “We continue to see demand for the service growing rapidly which is fantastic.”

Margaret Hanson, chief executive of Age Concern North East Wales, says the social enterprise will generate income to support charitable services for local older people.

She said: “We believe older people’s needs are best served by local charities which are part of the local community and can understand and respond to the specific needs of local older people.

“I am confident Home Solutions will become a very successful social enterprise in its own right.”