During a 1929 fundraising drive, Great Ormond Street Hospital invited J.M. Barrie to join a land‑acquisition committee. He declined but later transferred the rights to Peter Pan to the charity.
Barrie had long supported the hospital; he recalled that a young patient, once an invalid there, had left a lasting impression on him.
The rights grant the hospital the legal ability to collect income from every licensed performance and adaptation of the story within the UK.
The proceeds, kept confidential, have funded treatments, research and support services for patients and families. Last year, the charity helped a 6‑year‑old boy named Raj receive a lifesaving heart transplant—partly thanks to the royalties.
In 1988 Parliament codified the arrangement in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, ensuring the hospital's entitlement survives the expiry of the original copyright.
The unique partnership means that every stage production of Peter Pan across Britain continues to raise money for a hospital that treats some of the most complex paediatric illnesses.