The Ghana Cycling Federation (GCF) has received three road racing bicycles from Re-Cycle, a United Kingdom-based bicycle charity, in a handover facilitated by Village Bicycle Project (VBP) Ghana at Sowutuom on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
The donation forms part of an ongoing partnership between the two organisations aimed at growing cycling at the grassroots level across the country, and comes just weeks before Ghana’s national team, the Golden Pedals, departs for Burkina Faso to compete in the Tour du Faso.
Dr Ebenezer Somiah, Country Director of Village Bicycle Project Ghana, welcomed the Re-Cycle delegation and described the donation as an extension of a working relationship that has already delivered bicycles to school children, health workers and farmers in rural communities. He noted that the federation, as a partner organisation, was a fitting recipient for the latest consignment.
Representing Re-Cycle at the ceremony were Charlotte Ward, the charity’s Executive Director, and Mark Leeks, its warehouse manager, both of whom travelled from the UK for the handover. Re-Cycle operates under the name Recycle Bikes for Africa and works with partner organisations across several African countries.
“A Huge Step in Cycling for Ghana”
Ward said the donation was part of Re-Cycle’s continuing programme of support for Ghanaian cyclists “from the grassroots up.” She described the donation as “a huge step in cycling for Ghana” and expressed hope that it would inspire the younger generation to take up the sport.
“We really hope this donation will inspire the younger generation to get into cycling,” Ward said. She added that the broader goal is to give more Ghanaians access to a low-cost, sustainable means of getting to work, school and market, noting that “Recycle Bikes to Africa is really about transforming lives through bicycle reuse”.
Ward credited the Village Bicycle Project’s community-based programmes, including school outreach and “learn to ride” initiatives, with extending the practical benefit of donated bicycles well beyond competitive cycling. She said the organisation’s work in Accra, the Northern Region and the Volta Region has shortened school journeys for children who previously walked long distances, allowing pupils to arrive at school less fatigued and better able to concentrate.
National Team to Use Bicycles at Tour du Faso
Shaaban Mohamed, Secretary-General of the Ghana Cycling Federation, said the timing of the donation was significant. The federation’s national team travels to Burkina Faso next month for the Tour du Faso, and the donated bicycles would be put to use during that tour.
The Tour du Faso, a multi-stage road cycling race, returns to the UCI calendar from October 30 to November 8, 2026, after a two-year suspension. The 37th edition of the competition will traverse eight regions of Burkina Faso, with twelve teams expected at the start, including Burkina Faso’s national team and several African and European formations.
Mohamed said one of the bicycles is expected to be allocated to the federation’s women’s cycling initiative in the Upper East Region, an area where Village Bicycle Project has previously distributed bicycles to schoolchildren through its school cycling project. He stated that the northern sector team and the female squad will each receive one bicycle.
A 23-Year Partnership Delivering Over 46,000 Bicycles
The donation is the latest chapter in a partnership between Re-Cycle and Village Bicycle Project that spans more than two decades. Since 2003, Re-Cycle has partnered with VBP to improve mobility in rural Ghana, shipping more than 3,000 bicycles each year. In March 2026, the partnership marked a major milestone with the loading of its 100th container of bicycles to Ghana.
Over the years, the two organisations have delivered more than 46,000 bicycles to Ghana, with each container carrying around 500 bicycles and essential spare parts. The programme supports initiatives including Learn to Ride, Cycle to School, Cycle for Health Workers, and Cycle to Work & Farming, ensuring that bicycles continue to deliver value long after they arrive.
Village Bicycle Project was founded in 1999 by David Peckham, a bicycle activist and former Peace Corps Volunteer. The organisation gives people in Ghana and Sierra Leone access to affordable and sustainable transportation, addressing the devastating burden that a lack of transportation places on families whose time could be more efficiently spent improving their education, economic stability and health.
Cycling and National Wellness
John Nartey, Acting Deputy for the National Recreation Awareness Programme, a government initiative aimed at encouraging Ghanaians into everyday physical activity, also addressed the gathering. He linked cycling directly to the programme’s goals, citing its benefits for cardiovascular health, bone and muscle conditioning, mental wellbeing and reduced carbon emissions, and encouraged wider adoption of cycling for leisure and daily exercise.
The National Recreation and Wellness Programme, fully endorsed by President John Dramani Mahama under his national reset agenda, is a nationwide initiative aimed at promoting active lifestyles, improving public health, and enhancing community cohesion. It includes structured recreational activities, wellness campaigns, physical education in schools, and rehabilitation programmes. A key feature of the initiative is the introduction of a monthly “National Recreation Day,” featuring free health screenings in partnership with the Ministry of Health.
Calls for Duty Exemptions on Bicycle Imports
Mohamed said the federation intended to brief the Minister for Sports and Recreation on the donation and would push for duty exemptions on future consignments of bicycles and equipment brought into the country to support rural communities, farmers, health workers and athletes.
Dr Somiah also appealed to the authorities to ease taxation on the importation of bicycles to encourage the sport and other means of transportation. “Our partners are ready to ship more containers of bikes but the problem is the duty and we appeal to government to look into it because cycling plays a role in development,” he noted.
The appeal underscores a persistent challenge in the partnership: while Re-Cycle and VBP have the capacity to deliver more bicycles, import duties remain a significant barrier to expanding the programme’s reach.
Mohamed thanked Re-Cycle for following through on an earlier commitment made in the UK to support cycling, and extended appreciation to Village Bicycle Project and the media in attendance for their continued support of the sport. Ward said she was pleased to be in Ghana after meeting the Secretary-General of the GCF at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and expressed hope to see many more Ghanaians riding to make cycling popular.
As the Golden Pedals prepare for the Tour du Faso with newly donated racing bicycles, the handover serves as a reminder of the role that international partnerships and grassroots initiatives continue to play in developing cycling in Ghana — both as a competitive sport and as a everyday means of transport for thousands of Ghanaians.
