• To act as the Authority for the laws of both games, and to be the custodian of their history and traditions.
• To provide essential leadership and governance to both games via a Board of Directors and Games Committees for both sports.
• To advise on, and where possible help to finance, the construction, restoration and maintenance of courts in the UK.
• To co-ordinate and fund the training of Real Tennis and Rackets professionals in the UK.
• To arrange sponsorship for competitions and ensuring continued external support for the future.
• To work closely with the Professionals' Associations and the Ladies Association.
  

• To organise national competitions and championships at all age levels and co-ordinate the UK national fixtures calendar.
• To recruit more young people into both games by supporting coaching, tournaments and other events for schools, clubs and universities.
• To develop the champions of the future by supporting coaching programmes such as the Academy and Development Squads - and by partnering with specialists such as the Dedanists and Performance Brunel Ltd to facilitate delivery.
• To manage the internal and external communications, including the provision of a website for both games, and the production of an Annual Report for all members.
• To fund, direct and manage the on-line Tennis players' handicap system and the on-line Neptune World Rackets Ranking System.

• To collaborate closely with the two Trusts associated with the games, the DBTRAF and the Young Professionals' Fund, to provide grants in support of our Objects.
  
• To co-ordinate participation initiatives with the aim of increasing activity in both sports.
• To co-ordinate and direct the efforts of numerous volunteers for the mutual benefit of all.
• To provide Health and Safety advice to all clubs and schools, co-ordinate national Safeguarding standards and offer Public Liability Insurance to all members.
• To manage the finances of the Association, including the production and execution of a sustainable annual budget.

In support of this objective, grants are available to schools, universities and clubs who have the necessary facilities to play either or both of the games, or who are interested in so doing, under the following broad headings:

• Courts - for new court projects or for the improvement of the structure and facilities of existing courts;
• Professionals - for the training and development of the professionals who are essential to the coaching of new and existing players;
• Participation - for programmes to encourage greater participation across all ages and genders in both games, particularly with the young; and
• Other - any other project which would lead to greater exposure of the games and thereby increase interest and participation.

Grants will be by way of a contribution to the total cost of the project in line with guidelines approved by the Board of the T&RA. In making decisions about grants the T&RA must be satisfied that:

• the proposed grant would be an appropriate and effective way of utilising the T&RA's assets to advance its charitable objects in terms of expediency and risk;
• the grant would be used by the recipient to advance the T&RA's charitable objects;
• the grant will generate identifiable public benefit;
• the grant will not confer an unacceptable private benefit;
• the grant will not give rise to adverse reputational issues for the T&RA; and
• appropriate documentation will be put in place in respect of the grant.

The T&RA, through the General Fund and the Young Professionals' Fund, works closely with two other charitable entities, the Dick Bridgeman TRA Foundation and the Peter Kershaw Bursary Fund.

Over the past five years grants have been awarded by these four entities totalling £383k, primarily on the following: £77k on Participation, including the schools' and universities' initiatives; £87k on Professionals' training and development and £156k on Courts with investments in the second Rackets court at Tonbridge School and the new Tennis court at Wellington College, as well as improvements at Malvern College (refurbishment of Rackets court), Canford School (penthouses), Jesmond Dene (floor repairs), Seacourt (new roof) and Petworth (improved facilities) plus initial architects fees on the development project to find a way to build Tennis courts at a significantly lower cost. Further commitments are in the pipeline totalling almost £150k payable over the next two to three years mainly in support of professionals and court improvement projects.