An Alliance member church in north London has raised nearly £150,000 for local community projects through renting out its car parking spaces.

All Saints Church in Islington collected the impressive amount over four years through renting parking space through ParkatmyHouse.com.

The money has so far contributed to community projects that benefit the homeless, local residents and parents. Projects include the Rainbows mother and toddler group, Alcoholics Anonymous and a scheme that helps feed and shelter homeless people in the local area.

All Saints, who first registered with ParkatmyHouse in November 2007, has benefited from huge demand from train passengers looking for a safe, convenient and affordable place to park near to the station.

With more than 5,000 bookings in the last four years, it seems that drivers then use the train or work in the area but are fed up with over-priced car parks and parking tickets.

Rev Ted Fell of All Saints Church said: "Thanks to ParkatmyHouse and the 1,000 or so people who parked with us in 2012, we've been able to fund events like Rainbow, a carer and toddler group for the whole community. More parishes could and should benefit from renting out any unused outdoor space."

During the last 12 months, ParkatmyHouse, the online marketplace, has seen the number of churches signing up double – recognising the benefits of utilising otherwise unused space. The trend is spreading to other cities, including Liverpool, Manchester and Bristol.

Alex Stephany, CEO of ParkatmyHouse.com, comments: "We're proud to be able to connect these churches with people who need to rent the spaces. It's really exciting to see these business-savvy churches taking part in the so-called 'sharing economy' and reaping the benefits. In turn, they're providing a valuable service to their local communities.

"It would be great to see more churches making proper use of their property - it's free for them to list their spaces so they really have nothing to lose. Charity-giving has really suffered since the recession. Imagine if every church earned a few thousand pounds each month. The benefits would be felt community and country-wide."