England, mainly in London, the South East, East Anglia and Birmingham. The group was formed as Circle Anglia when Circle 33 Housing Group and Anglia Housing Group merged in 2005. Circle owns and manages more than 63,500 homes, including supported and sheltered housing, for more than 200,000 people across the UK, and employs over 2,200 staff. The Circle Housing Group has 12 partners. Nine registered providers (RPs): South Anglia Housing, Wherry Housing Association, Old Ford Housing Association, Circle 33, Merton Priory Homes, Mole Valley Housing Association, Mercian Housing Association, Roddons Housing Association and Russet Homes; as well as Circle Living for sales and marketing and management of shared ownership, market rent and private sale properties. It has two care and support partners – Circle Support and INVICTA Telecare – one of the largest Telecare providers in England. Circle belongs to two regional clubs of large associations: the G15 in London, and East Seven in East Anglia. Funding Housing associations borrow money to pay for new homes and improvements. During the financial crisis of 2007–2008, banks were less able to provide all the credit that larger associations required, although Circle raised £1.7 billion in bank debt as the credit crunch developed. In November 2008, Circle Anglia raised £275 million on a 30-year corporate bond. This is the largest bond ever issued by a housing association in its own name. In November 2010, Circle was the first housing group to go to investors after the new government's comprehensive spending review, and raised £124m through a bond tap. Members The members of the group were: Awards As Affinity Sutton Sunday Times British Homes Awards – highly commended in the Housing Project category for The Square. NHF Affordable Home Ownership Awards- Highly Commended for Maple Quays, Canada Water Green Apple Award – Built Environment – Best Use of Mixed Development at Durand Close, Carshalton. Construction News Retrofit Project of the Year – Affinity Sutton's national retrofitting project, FutureFit, named Retrofit Project of the Year. SHIFT Award – supported by the Homes and Communities Agency, UK Green Building Council, WWF and the TSA – FutureFit, Affinity Sutton’s national retrofitting project, was praised as "outstanding research assisting the sector understand sustainability challenges." Winner Housing Association of the Year, 2011 – WhatHouse? Awards Big Tick Reaccreditation – Affinity Sutton retained its Big Tick status in 2012 for its work in Building Stronger Communities in the Business in