Central Auckland's MP Judith Tizard will officially open the new expanded Body Positive House premises this Friday 30 May. Bruce Kilmister, CEO of Body Positive, a counselling and support service for people living with HIV, says "It's a momentous day for Body Positive; to finally have a facility big enough for us to properly provide care and support for HIV+ communities. "It's been a collaborative project which has resulted successfully in our floor space tripling in size, allowing us to create a fantastic members lounge and dining room, internet study, massage room, rest space, private meeting room and separate administration offices." The new Body Positive House now occupies a side of the building used by the NZ AIDS Foundation's Burnett Centre clinic until earlier this year. The building was once three firemen's flats - complete with a fireman's pole - for the neighbouring fire station, but now, after some heavy-duty concrete cutting, the spaces interconnect at both ground and first floor levels but the space still maintains a residential feel. In its early days, Body Positive operated from a one-room office and even though the organisation now occupies half a building, the commitment to helping improve the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS remains unchanged, says Kilmister. "The opening of Body Positive House signifies a coming of age in attitudes towards peer support, by providing a focus point for the HIV community to help care for itself." Tomorrow's opening ceremony will commence at 6pm, with official proceedings followed shortly after by drinks and finger food.