Poppy Girls putting pop into poppy for Remembrance

Poppy Girls Megan Adams, Bethany Davy, Alice Milburn, Florence Ransom and Charlotte Mellor. Picture: Contributed

Megan Adams, from Stirling, is one of five members of The Poppy Girls, who will be releasing The Royal British Legion’s annual single on Remembrance Sunday, 10 November.

The group is hoping to replicate the success of the Military Wives, who shot to the top of the charts with a Christmas single two years ago.

As well as a host of television appearances – including on The One Show on BBC1 and Sky News – after the band is unveiled today, Megan is due to visit 10 Downing Street where the group will present David Cameron with a poppy. The Poppy Girls have also been lined up to perform at the Royal Albert Hall before the Queen at the annual Festival of Remembrance, expected to be seen by a television audience of around six million.

The girl group will be at the centre of the Legion’s annual campaign this autumn, which is aimed at “highlighting the massive emotional and physical upheaval” faced by the children of servicemen and women.

Record company chiefs and officials at the Armed Forces charity hope exposure for The Poppy Girls, the cause they will be raising money for and the emotional lyrics of their song – a cover of The Call, by Regina Spektor – will help propel the single to the top of the charts.

Megan, whose dad Billy is a lieutenant commander in the Royal Navy and was awarded the MBE three years ago, beat more than 1,000 youngsters to win a place in the group alongside four other girls.

Megan’s mother, Cheryl, a former Royal Navy wren, said: “The whole catalyst for this was when somebody saw her perform at a charity event and had heard about the Royal British Legion’s appeal for young singers.

“It’s been a crazy few months… with all the auditions, recording sessions, making the video and the photoshoots.

“We are all delighted for Megan, but the only upsetting thing is her dad has been on duty in the Indian Ocean, taking part in a counter-piracy operation, and has not been here to go through this with us.”

Megan won her place when she impressed the judges with a rendition of Gary Barlow track Sing. She said: “I have been able to sing since I can remember, but I only started singing lessons about a year and a half ago. I love it so much now and it makes me very happy.

“I was really nervous at the last audition and I really didn’t think I’d got through to be in the final group.”

Charles Byrne, head of fundraising at the Royal British Legion, said: “This is a hauntingly beautiful track sung by a group of girls who know what it means to have family members constantly placed in harm’s way.

“We have a major theme in this year’s poppy appeal around families, so there is no more powerful way of reflecting that than through the voices of these exceptionally talented young people.”