Tyddyn Bach in Penmaenmawr in Conwy, north Wales, offers accommodation to adults and children living with the illness.

Dean Horsfield: Fundraising events

It is the only centre of its kind in the UK but the lease on the building is coming to an end and staff need to raise more than £100,000 to buy it.

The residents, of all ages and backgrounds, testify to the centre's benefits and the staff and volunteers are beginning a fundraising campaign to save it.

The volunteers at Tyddyn Bach say the centre has grown within the community over the past four years and is shaking off the stigma that hospices are a place where people come to die.

Raymond, 28, who was diagnosed HIV positive 11 years ago, is one of the people who claim Tyddyn Bach has helped come to terms with the condition.

Like many of the people who have used the centre, he looked for support from others and wanted to find a haven where his health was not an issue.

'Substantial donor'

He found that haven at Tyddyn Bach where guests can stay for up to three weeks alone or with their families and take walks or just have a close up view of the wildlife from a nearby bird sanctuary.

He said: "The majority of people that come here are quite healthy, but just need the rest and the break, so it's nice to just come and be yourself."

The centre's director, Dean Horsfield, said the efforts of staff and volunteers need a big boost if they are to win the battle to save the hospice from closure.

"We are trying local fundraising event and things but as you can imagine, unless we have a substantial donation though, it's unlikely we will be able to reach our target by 2004," he said.