THE wife of Birmingham City footballer Stuart Parnaby has set herself up with a new goal of trekking across the Great Wall of China to help a fellow Blues WAG raise cash for charity.

Sports fanatic and former professional dancer Paula Parnaby spent most of last year planning and preparing for wedding as well as keeping fit playing tennis and netball.

But now the 32-year-old whose hubby scored in the FA cup game against Coventry last weekend, wants to use her time – and fitness – to help fellow footballers’ wife Becky Doyle to raise cash and awareness for the Meningitis Trust.

The charity supported Becky and Blues goalkeeper Colin when their five-week-old son Liam was diagnosed with meningitis last July while the players were on pre season tour in China.

Paula said: “After hearing what Becky went through and what she wanted to do, I remember messaging her asking if there was anything I could do to help and she said ‘I know exactly what you can do’. It’s an awful thing to happen to anybody but when it happens to someone you know it makes it very real.

“I remember years ago a girl above me at school died, she went to the doctors, got sent home with them saying it was flu and she died within 24 hours. I was 18 then and it was a massive shock, especially because she had gone to the doctors.

“You hear so many stories. People think it will never happen to us, probably Becky thought that too. At least if everyone can do their bit and raise awareness of the symptoms, that it’s not just about the glass test then we could help to save lives.”

But despite words of encouragement from hubby Paula has been told it’s not going to be easy. “Stu keeps saying do you realise how hard it’s going to be. I have done Duke of Edinburgh and things like that at school so I have slummed it. I am excited about seeing the different culture, challenge-wise I think it will be good, we are all doing it together for a good reason.