WHEN it comes to sex education the best people to teach the young are...the young.

That is what 24-year-old Beca Banner has discovered as she has visited pubs, clubs and colleges in Derbyshire.

Five years ago she became one of the first people to sign up as a "peer educator,'' giving out free condoms and chlamydia testing kits and advising people about where to go for professional help with sexual health problems.

Now there is a team who target people aged 16 to 25 in colleges, pubs, clubs and at the University of Derby.

They visit venues once every four weeks to build up a relationship with young people who study or socialise there.

Beca was offered a post in time to include it in her application to university.

By the time she was invited for an interview at the University of York, she had started work and could talk about her experience.

Now she has graduated and, instead of becoming a social worker, has made her role in the NHS a full-time career.

She has even been promoted to the role of locality worker, which involves giving advice to vulnerable young people.

Beca, 24, said: "When I first went for the job it wasn't just new to me it was new to the county, so I didn't really know what it was all about.

"But once I'd become part of it I was quite proud of it and as the scheme grew I became passionate about it."

The scheme was piloted in Chesterfield using money from the Government and has since been introduced across the county by Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust.

Peer educators work part-time, with many studying or holding down other jobs.

Like Beca, many signed up because they wanted to make a career out of helping others and needed experience.

She said: "We have a lot of student nurses and midwives looking for professional development.

"The training is fantastic in terms of self-exploration and personal development.

"It's not just given me professional skills. It has also given me the confidence to go out there and talk to people."

They are given guidance on how to deal with difficult situations but Beca said they rarely faced hostility. She said: We respect and understand that we're going into social situations. People have always been open to it and enthusiastic."

The service was launched in Derby a year ago, which has increased the workload. Now more staff are needed and intensive training is taking place to expand the team of mentors from 26 to 40.

One recent recruit is Dani Houston, who combines a job in a pub with working 30 hours a week for the service.

The 24-year-old, of Redshaw Street, in Five Lamps, said: "It sounded a really interesting job and every day is different."

Dani studied drama and media at the University of Derby, which helped her gain experience for the job as she had performed plays about drugs in schools.

She said: "I think the service makes people more aware of their sexual health and demystifies it. When I was younger I was scared because you had to make an appointment at the family planning clinic."

Students at Derby College's Roundhouse campus agreed mentors were approachable.

Among those getting advice were beauty students Hannah Alexander and Sophie Sainsbury.

Hannah, 16, of Ilkeston, said: "They're friendly and they don't look down on you."

Sophie, 17, of Long Eaton, added: "You wouldn't want to talk to them if they were older."

Hannah said it was good they were encouraging chlamydia testing.

She added: "I don't think I'd go to the doctor. It wouldn't be something I'd be bothered about doing otherwise."