Cheshire Phoenix will be part of a new scheme from the British Basketball League which will see players and staff promote the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle to school children.

The Ambassadors programme has been put together with funding from Sport England and will mean that key members of the Cheshire outfit will be visiting schools in their community to tell their stories about their pathway into professional sport.

There will be an emphasis on how participating in sports like basketball benefits youngsters' physical health but also the positive influence it has on their mental health. The sessions will also highlight how sport plays a role in tackling various societal issues and how the next generation hold the power to be trailblazers for social change.

Some of the key topics covered in the sessions will include; their personal career journeys, the importance of sport and education as well as the benefits of being physically active. Maintaining good mental health will also be emphasised and players will discuss the importance of being respectful and understanding of societal differences. Above all, the club ambassadors will look to inspire the next generation of young people within their respective communities.

The scheme will see players from across both the BBL and WBBL (Women's British Basketball League) lead sessions across the country. Over 1000 schools will be visited with assembly sessions planned for some 150,000 students.

Basketball remains the third most played team sport across the country, with 1.2 million people picking up a basketball each week, 80% of which are aged 16-34. Basketball continues to be at the heart of local communities too with 900,000 under 16s participating each week, making the sport the second most popular with 14–16-year-olds in the UK.

Additionally, The BBL is one the most culturally diverse leagues in world sport, with 70% of its players coming from ethnic minority backgrounds. However, with 13% of Brits (5.4 million) believing their ethnicity and/or culture is not represented by sporting icons around today, the campaign aims to give students role models from the league who can inspire them to get involved and actively pursue opportunities within sport and education.

Chief Operating Officer at the British Basketball League, Andy Webb, said: "We’re really proud to be launching the Ambassadors programme with the support of the clubs competing in the BBL alongside their WBBL counterparts.

"I’d like to thank Sport England, the Basketball Foundation and everyone across the league who has been involved in setting up this programme that will benefit thousands of youngsters across the country.

"Basketball in the UK has the power to inspire the next generation and our league is very fortunate to have so many role models that young people look up to and aspire to be.

"Our clubs already do a great deal of work in their local communities to address a range of societal issues and we look forward to seeing the impact the sessions have as they begin to take place over the coming weeks."

Phil Smith at Sport England said: "It’s great to see this programme launch. We all know the physical and mental benefits of being active, and how much value there is in being part of a team.

"We think that athletes can inspire young people to enjoy sport. It’s vital that role models are representative of communities so that young people can see themselves reflected in sport at all levels of the game.

"The BBL Ambassadors Programme will help to bridge that gap and inspire the next generation of young players."