Darwin Court Healthy Living Centre

At Darwin Court, we have a 15x5m heated swimming pool.  We try to keep our pool temperature between 31-32°C, which is an ideal temperature for swim teaching for students of all ages.

It's a very busy pool, and popular within our local community. Children from local schools learning to swim is a welcome and familiar sight.

Other activities in the swimming pool includes adults only swimming, baby and parent swimming, family fun and public swims. 

Our swim timetable changes occasionally, please check the timetable below for details.

Swimming timetable from 22 April to 24 May 2025

Morning sessions

Afternoon sessions

Evening sessions

We offer swimming lessons during school time, for children from four years old onwards. These are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 4pm to 6pm. We teach students of all levels, from non-swimmer and beginners to advanced level competitive swimmers. 

These lessons are run for 10-12 weeks, on a pay-as-you-go basis. There is no direct debit. 

All of our swimming team are fully qualified, and they will be in the water with the children to closely observe and reassure their students. 

To enrol, please come to Darwin Court reception. Our swim team will find the right class and time for your child, and then we're ready to go.

During school holidays, we also run intensive swimming lesson programmes as well. 

We have a full range of cardiovascular equipment including running machines, rowing machines and bikes.

There is also an extensive free weights section with dumbbells, a variety of plates and bars, incline and decline benches and a squat rack.

We also have static resistance equipment including a cable jungle and multi exercise weights machines.

Gym users have access to the gym changing room, lockers and the gym area is fully air conditioned.

We offer both pay as you go and membership options both on a non-contract basis.

We offer free 30-minute gym inductions for those who wish to learn how to safely use the different types of equipment on offer.

We are here daily catering for the needs of our residents, service users and community. We enjoy what we do and work tirelessly to remain true to our core beliefs: serving great coffee and food, accompanied by great service.

Come and join us for freshly baked pastries and a specialist coffee or creamy hot chocolate.

Choose from a variety of hot and nutritious meals and snacks including homemade curries, pasta and toasted sandwiches.

We take sustainability seriously. Through initiatives such as recycling, the use of bio-degradable packaging materials and minimising waste, we aim to lower the environmental footprint of our business.

We offer a wide range of events tailored to adults, from coffee mornings to American pool sessions, and sewing to art.

Whether you’re interested in attending drop in classes or engaging in social events, we have something for everyone:

• American Pool sessions: Mondays and Fridays 1pm to 3pm
• Library service: Mondays to Saturdays 9am to 4pm
• Blackfriars settlement coffee mornings: Mondays 10:30am to 12:30pm
• Drop in art class: Mondays 2pm to 4pm
• Sewing group: 11am to 1pm

Our well-being classes focus on developing and maintaining a healthy body and mind.  Improve your strength and fitness in our exercise classes, develop balance and flexibility.

Our Osteopathy or Age UK Foot Health clinics offer regular health and wellbeing treatments. We also offer hairdressing to help make your day.

Osteopathy is a way of detecting, treating and preventing health problems by moving, stretching and massaging a person's muscles and joints. For further information or to book an appointment please phone 07973 353084 or email osteotim@msn.com 

Looking after our feet is important for mobility and stability.  AGE UK foot health clinic offer sessions to help manage your overall foot health and wellbeing, every 1st Tuesday in the month.  For further information please contact 020 7358 4077 or happyfeet@ageuklands.org.uk

Hairdressing, is by appointment and offers haircutting, colouring, a wash and blow dry or perming. For more information please ask at reception.

Conference room

Host your meeting, training or event in our air conditioned and fully serviced large conference room.

Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm

Saturday 9am to 4pm

Price on demand

Meeting room

Host your meeting, training or event in our fully serviced meeting room

Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm

Saturday 9am to 4pm

Price on demand 

This is a free service for all Peabody residents. Drop in and choose from fresh fruit and vegetables, store cupboard staples, toiletries and more. The food available does change.

You don't need a food voucher or a referral, but please bring something to show you are a Peabody resident.

The food hub is open Tuesdays from 9am to 11am and Wednesdays from 1.30pm to 6pm.

We're here to support you. Whether you need money and benefits advice, help with training and employment or you want to improve your digital skills, we'll do our best to help. We'll even help support you with your mental, physical or emotional health.

Find out more

Are you experiencing domestic abuse?  Visit our safe space.

Ask at reception and someone from the team will show you to the safe space room where you can:

• Use the telephone to contact whoever you need
• Find information about domestic abuse support services
• Use the internet to look for help.

Visit our domestic abuse page to learn more about how we can support you.

Darwin Court is open Monday to Friday, 8am–8pm, Saturday 9am–4pm.

We are a ten minute walk from Elephant and Castle station and Walworth Road.

The following buses stop on Walworth Road: 12, 35,  40, 68, 148, 171, 176, 468 and P5. The 333 stops at Elephant and Castle Station. 136 and 343 stop on Rodney Road, two minutes walk from the centre.

Pay and display parking is available in bays next to the centre.

If you require further information on the centre or any of the activities, please call Darwin Court reception on 0208 054 0627.