MDI Ollie Hickey Programme is Now Open for Applications

We’re pleased to announce that the MDI- Ollie Hickey Programme is now open for applications and will remain open until 31st May 2026. 

The MDI- Ollie Hickey Programme is an important part of MDI’s commitment to supporting members living with neuromuscular conditions to access opportunities that promote independence, participation, and inclusion. 

Funding Amount

Successful applicants can receive up to €500. 

We encourage applicants to read the Funding Guidelines & Information before applying, to make sure their idea fits within the fund. 

Who Can Apply?

To be eligible for the Ollie Hickey Programme, applicants must be an MDI member and not have previously received funding through this fund in 2024 or 2025.  

The fund is open to both children and adults, and we particularly welcome applications that support personal goals, independence, and participation. 

Applications involving creative arts or music are especially welcome, reflecting the creative spirit of the Ollie Hickey Programme, but all applications will be considered.

What Can the Fund Support?

This fund is all about possibilities - supporting items, activities, or experiences that can make a real difference in daily life. 

We encourage you to think creatively about what might help you try something new, develop a skill, or simply enjoy more of the things that matter to you. 

This could include creative or recreational activities, learning opportunities, adaptive sports, or practical supports. If it helps you take part more fully in life, we want to hear about it. 

The following are not eligible for funding under this programme:

• Home adaptations, structural modifications, or construction projects

• Debt repayment or general living costs

• Items or services already purchased or completed prior to approval

Please note:
Where possible, MDI’s preference is to fully fund an item or service up to the approved award value. However, consideration may also be given to applications where the award contributes towards a larger cost, provided the request is proportionate to the aims of the fund and supports independence and inclusion. 

A limited number of awards are available. 

How to Apply

Please read the Funding Guidelines & Information before applying. You will be asked to confirm your understanding of this information within the application form. To apply, simply complete the application form

If you have any questions about the funding or would like assistance in completing your application, please contact Aoife Balfe at aoife@mdi.ie

💛 A final note

We are very grateful to the family of Ollie Hickey for the generosity and support that helped establish this fund, which continues to create valuable opportunities for MDI members.

  • Muscular Dystrophy Ireland is the data controller of the personal data held in relation to applications for the bursary.

    Confidentiality

    MDI takes its data protection obligations very seriously. MDI shall treat all personal information with the utmost confidentiality in line with the standards of data protection required by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Access to any personal information you give us when making an application for the bursary is limited by permissions to only those staff and volunteers who need access to manage, assess and respond to your application.

    Personal data

    Personal data in our application process for this bursary has come directly from you from your application form. The categories of personal information held in relation to your application are for the most part personal data relating to your identity, including contact information, and personal circumstances.

    Use of personal data

    MDI will use your personal information for the purposes of:
    • Reviewing and managing your application for the bursary
    • Communications with you on these matters
    • Reporting on our activities in relation to the bursary, for regulatory, management and quality purposes.

    Legal basis for processing and data retention

    Your personal details are necessary for MDI to review your application for the bursary and to communicate the outcome of the selection process and the terms of any award with you. We will process and retain your personal information relating to your application in line with MDI’s Data Retention Schedule. We will only process the data for the duration that the data is required to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected.

    Special category personal data

    When applying for the bursary you may be required to provide sensitive personal data relating for example to your disability or personal circumstances. Any sensitive personal data of this nature provided as part of your application will only be used for the purposes of assessing and making a decision relating to your application.

    Your rights

    If you have any questions relating to your personal information and your information rights, including right of access, rectification and erasure, please contact Data Protection, Muscular Dystrophy Ireland, 75 Lucan Road, Chapelizod, Dublin D20 6414. Email: mdiinfo@mdi.ie Tel: 01 623 641

    Details of the Supervisory Authority
    Irish Office of the Data Protection Commission
    If you have a query, concern or complaint regarding a data protection matter, you can engage with the Data Protection Commission in the following ways:

    By webform on their website https://forms.dataprotection.ie/contact
    By post: 21 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin, D02 RD28.