DRAGONS' DEN entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne is known for taking fast action when he sees an opportunity, so he introduced a charity scheme to his 3,000 employees only two weeks after hearing about it.

A lack of awareness among the business community has meant the 20-year-old tax efficient Workplace Giving scheme has not taken off as it should.

Workplace Giving allows a charity to receive all the tax payable on an employee's donation if it goes through the payroll.

After hearing about the scheme, Mr Bannatyne has backed it and encouraged other businesses to do the same.

Charities could receive an estimated £900m every year, and the extra money could pay for the entire work of Barnardo's or the British Red Cross for fourand- a-half years.

Mr Bannatyne, whose company is based in Darlington and employs 441 people in the North- East, said: "Two weeks ago, I'd never heard of it - now I can't imagine not doing it.

"Give charities an extra £900m a year at no extra cost to yourself ? The question you should be asking is not why would you do this, it's why you wouldn't?

"I'm signing up my companies to Workplace Giving and I'm hoping my 3,000 employees will be as enthusiastic as I am about the scheme."

For a higher-rate taxpayer, a donation made via Workplace Giving that cost £60 could be increased to £100 before being passed to the charity.

There is no extra cost to the donor - the donation is simply topped up by the taxman.

Further details about the scheme are available at geared forgiving.com.