Red Barrows display team, co-founded by a Sudbury resident when he lived near Haverhill and a former favourite of Chris Evans, is marking its 21st anniversary

A wheelbarrow display team that was dreamt up just to ‘have a bit of fun’ at a village fete is about to celebrate its 21st birthday – having raised well over £100,000 for charity.

The Red Barrows, which describes itself as ‘like the Red Arrows, but slower and lower’, sees the red overall-wearing ‘pilots’ and their wheelbarrows complete formation displays.

Having been created in 2002 by a group of friends based in the villages of Toppesfield, Great Yeldham and Stambourne, all near Haverhill, the team went on to became a regular part of broadcaster and TV star Chris Evans’s annual two-day festival, CarFest, as well as making appearances all over the country.

Co-founder Matt Webb said the idea first arose among a group of friends while drinking in the former Bottle Hall pub in Toppesfield, where Sudbury-based Matt then lived.

“It was set up for the local fete in Toppesfield, just to have a bit of fun for the village fete really.

“The idea was born in the pub to do Red Arrows style formations, but lower to the ground.”

The formations required at least six pilots, but usually had eight or nine. Down the years 26 have appeared.

Although the Red Barrows no longer do displays - they instead appear as a band, Reptile Dysfunction – they still raise money for charity, and over the years, said Matt, they have raised over £115,000.

Initially, the team would perform at village and school fetes, with Breakthrough breast cancer the early beneficiary, but Children in Need, CLIC Sargeant, Essex Air Ambulance and a host of other good causes have also benefited.

After they gained a wider audience, The Red Barrows was invited to be a part of CarFest by Chris Evans after he learned of what they did, and was so taken by it he got in touch.

For five years they appeared at CarFest, but they have also performed at Jimmy’s Farm, the BBC Flower Show in Jersey, for the Royal Navy and even got to perform at the Red Arrows’ end of season bash, which Matt said was “all a bit surreal”.

The team even turned down an invitation to audition at one point for Britain’s Got Talent and been included on a Top Trumps card.

Matt, 40, said: “We didn’t realise it would go where it went really.”

The Red Barrows will celebrate its 21st birthday with a free event at the Green Man pub in Toppesfield from 3pm on Saturday June 3, with live music, food, and more.