A 16-year-old from Dearham, near Maryport has been signed up to take part in the country’s first ever professional female’s wheelchair basketball league.

Emily Branthwaite has been playing the sport since she was nine and represented England last year at the Sainsbury’s school games.

Emily was scouted by a team from the capital called the East London Phoenix at a recent event and have decided to recruit the teenager for their first ever squad.

Discussing how she got signed up, Emily’s mother Rebecca said: “Emily was playing at a women’s league competition six weeks ago and was scouted there. They told me that this was a massive thing for wheelchair basketball, there has never been a professional women’s league, there’s just been men’s leagues and this is going to be the first league, not just in Europe but the world. They’ve built this team and have picked Emily to be a part of East London Phoenix.”

Continuing on how her daughter felt after receiving the news, Rebecca added: “She was absolutely amazed by it all. The people she is going to be playing alongside, she has looked up to for so long and now she’s going to be playing in a team with them. One of her heroes, Amy Conroy, is a three-time Paralympian and will be part of the team with her. She’s absolutely thrilled to have been chosen and she can’t believe it!”

To help Emily settle into her professional career, the family are attempting to raise £6,500 for a new basketball chair that she needs to help her to play at the top level.

Speaking about how members of the public can help raise money for Emily, Rebecca claimed: “We’ve set a gofundme page for people to donate. We can also accept cash donations that we can donate on their behalf. We need anyone who is kind enough to share any money they have to help raise funds for Emily to get a brand-new basketball wheelchair that she can play at the level she has been selected to play at.”

To help Emily receive a new chair, go on Emily's gofundme website.