The Calabash Day Centre has been a valued part of the Lewisham community for many years, providing a warm, inclusive space where people can socialise, stay active and feel connected.
Now supported by Eleanor Healthcare Group, our focus is to ensure Calabash continues to provide the trusted, person-centred support it’s known for, while offering the additional resources needed to grow with the evolving needs of those it serves.
Flexible attendance options are available for both referrals and self-funded visitors.
Every day at Calabash is designed to bring people together through social, creative and wellbeing-focused activities. Whether you’re looking to meet new people, try something new, or just enjoy a lively, supportive atmosphere—there’s something here for everyone.
A hot, freshly prepared lunch is available each day for a small fee. Dietary and cultural needs are always respected.
The centre is open to elderly adults living in Lewisham who may benefit from structured daytime support, social interaction and purposeful activity.
As part of Eleanor Healthcare Group, Calabash continues to grow—without losing the personal, community-driven ethos it’s known for. We are proud to be working alongside the dedicated Calabash team to ensure the service remains rooted in trust, care and cultural respect.
The heart of Calabash Day Centre is its dedicated team – a group of compassionate professionals who bring energy, care and cultural understanding to everything they do. With years of experience and a deep connection to the local community, they ensure every visitor feels welcomed, respected and supported.
Want to find out more? Whether you’re exploring day services for yourself or a loved one—or you’re a local organisation interested in working together—we’d love to hear from you.
Calabash Day Centre – continuing its proud tradition with the support of Eleanor Healthcare Group.
Despite a successful stint as one of the youngest finance directors in London, specialising in mergers and acquisitions for a prominent advertising company, Marc found his professional success to be hollow. Driven by a desire to serve the community, he left the lucrative world of finance to establish an accountancy practice and business consultancy in Lewisham. His mission was clear: guide local start-ups and small businesses toward financial transparency and profitability.
As Marc’s consultancy flourished, he received a crucial call from Eleanor in 2005, who was struggling to keep her nursing agency afloat after 26 years. Marc took on the challenge, initiating a leap of faith that marked the beginning of a transformative journey. Today, the Eleanor Healthcare Group stands as a model business in the care sector, with over 1500 dedicated members, fluent in 112 languages, supporting over 3000 clients. The senior staff, with a combined experience of over 100 years in health and social care, has been instrumental in guiding and participating in the organisation’s remarkable growth.
Marc draws inspiration from his team of staff care workers and frontline keyworkers, acknowledging their role in preserving the life and dignity of the most vulnerable in the community. He emphasises that Eleanor is an organization with people at its core, having created a paradigm shift in the care sector with the driving principle that social care is about people, not processes. In 2009, Marc introduced the concept of person-centric care, responding to a request from Richmond Council. Eleanor Healthcare Group led the transformation, offering tailor-made services and pioneering an outcomes-based approach in collaboration with local authorities. The organisation then took a leading role in preventive care, integrating health and social care services and introducing a novel caring model to Lewisham Council based on the Buurtzorg model.
Despite numerous achievements, Marc sees success as just the beginning. The Eleanor family remains ready to take another leap of faith, with trust in people above processes. In the face of mounting challenges to health and social care systems, Marc has been steering Eleanor to the forefront of much-needed innovation within the UK and globally. Eleanor Healthcare Group takes pride in its identity, never compromising integrity and always preserving its true essence. The commitment to taking the road less travelled is evident as it approaches the next fork in the future of healthcare, promising to continue breaking new ground and redefine possibilities.