LEFT WRITE HOOK
EQUITY & INCLUSION, 2025
In a boxing gym in inner Melbourne, small groups sit with notebooks, write what needs processing, share what they choose, then lace up for non-contact drills. Donna Lyon founded Left Write Hook to help adult survivors of childhood abuse and gendered violence reclaim body and voice. “We are a survivor-led charity that runs an eight-week, trauma-informed writing and non-contact boxing program as ways to regain agency and power,” explains Donna.
TFN’s relationship with Left Write Hook began in 2023. Donna engaged TFN to run a live crowdfunding event alongside a special screening of her documentary, Left Write Hook, at Rivoli Cinemas in Melbourne, raising funds for the film’s social impact campaign. The night became a launchpad for the new charity, building momentum and funding support. As Donna recalls, “That night was not only instrumental in backing the film, it was the beginning of backing our charity.”
Fast forward to TFN’s Equity & Inclusion event in June 2025, where the TFN network pledged $43,000 to help expand Left Write Hook’s eight-week, survivor-led writing and non-contact boxing program and strengthen its evidence base. Donna remembers the feeling in the room: “I think that night was a very powerful one – the biggest impact for us happened in the room, with conversations of validation and people understanding deeply the need for what we do and the why.”
A two-year randomised controlled trial with the University of Melbourne is now underway to test Left Write Hook’s model. “In our pilot research, the data demonstrated reductions in PTSD, complex PTSD, depression and stress, and increases in personal agency, belonging and resilience,” says Donna. The trial compares boxing-only with the full Left Write Hook program of trauma-informed writing alongside non-contact boxing. It will also track how long any changes last at follow-up, alongside safety, adherence and cost-effectiveness, with completion due in 2026.
The program is careful about storytelling, and Donna is conscious of giving people the tools and support to share safely “I think it’s finding people who genuinely want to tell their story in a way that feels meaningful to their recovery. You have to navigate it carefully, because sometimes you feel ready and then realise you’re not,” says Donna.“We take a trauma-informed approach and have deep discussions about the impacts of sharing – the load and the repercussions – so hopefully the benefits outweigh the risks.”
“Transformation is often used as a buzzword – but for survivors who are seen, heard, and believed in safe, trauma-informed spaces, that transformation is profound. The impacts are long-term, and our research backs it up.”
Donna Lyon
Founder, Left Write Hook
Left Write Hook gives survivors language and stance – and a way to carry both into everyday life. With the TFN network behind them and rigorous research underway, the work can reach more people and show what it changes – helping survivors reclaim agency and carry that strength into everyday life.