Reports of Covid-19 pandemic related day centre closures impacting negatively on their attenders and family carers have fuelled a resurgence of interest in day centres, a common, but often 'invisible', preventive service. The absence of detailed descriptions of these services from the literature limits the evidence base since outcomes data without context are less meaningful. This descriptive article aims to further understanding of these diverse and multi-faceted settings for potential

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... ators and social care and health professionals, particularly in the context of rising social prescribing initiatives in England with their focus on linking older people to asset-based community resources. Using data from documentation provided by managers of four purposively selected English day centres for older people, interviews with 23 centre managers, staff and volunteers, and notes made during 56 full-day visits, this article presents a rich, contemporary, non-interpretative, pre-Covid pandemic picture of four purposively selected English day centres for older people.This baseline data will support conversations concerning optimisation of such services in the post-pandemic recovery period and beyond: how buildings may be regarded as valuable community assets with potential, and how other parts of the health and care system may better interact with day services to improve older people's, carers' and others' health and wellbeing, and to benefit of staff working elsewhere in health and care.