TALENTED TWINS are hoping to win in a singing contest after penning a tune for their friend who died.

Britanny and Rachelle Davies, both 15, will perform in the finals of the UK's Teenstar contest on Sunday.

Originally Britanny wrote Shout Out in memory of her and Rachelle's friend Heather, who tragically took her own life last year.

The pair, from Glasgow, said writing and performing the tune helped them deal with the grief and shock of losing their pal.

Brittany said: "If this song or video helps just one person to 'shout out' and ask for help, then this project will have been a success and Heather's death will have helped save another's life.

"It affected us and the people around us.

"Not long after she died I was in my room and a melody started coming in to my head and I picked up the guitar,a and started writing.

"I couldn't find any other paper so I wrote it all in my maths jotter.

"I've written quite a few songs but we also do gigs and things too.

"It is now nearly a year since it happened and her closest friends have been really supportive of us."

Rachelle said she was completely shocked after she heard the news in school one morning, following the May bank holiday last year.

The 15-year-old said Heather's death made her realise the importance of talking to people if you need help, and made her more aware of mental illness.

She said: " When I found out, I didn't know anything about it. I didn't know anything about how she was feeling, I thought she was fine.

"I was crying when we found out.

"I was close with Heather and it made it easier to grieve when we wrote the song.

"It helped me rather than crying all the time, I wanted to do something good about it. "

Following Heather's death Rachelle was given counselling along with other pupils in her year, and they talked about the memories they had of their friend and the good times they spent with her.

Both twins said it has made them aware of the stigma surrounding mental illness, and how prevalent it can be within people of their age.

Their mum Kim said she was "very proud" of her daughters for what they have done and hopes it will help people who may be struggling to cope.

The song will be available to buy on iTunes from May 30th, with all the proceeds being donated to the Young Minds charity which helps young people with mental illness.

It also provides training and support for parents and friends of young people who have a mental illness.

The girls are set to perform their song as part of the Teenstar contest in Manchester tomorrow.

They will compete against dozens of other acts from across the country for the chance to win a £5,000 advance, recording studio time, singing lessons and music development classes.

For more information on mental health and support visit www.youngminds.org.uk or www.samh.org.uk.

hannah.rodger@eveningtimes.co.uk