A minister who set himself the challenge of walking from Aberdeen to London to mark the Queen’s Jubilee has completed it – 10 days early.
Rev Isaac Poobalan began his journey on Easter Sunday averaging around 15 miles per day.
Initially, he set aside 50 days planning to end his journey on Pentecost but was able to finish on May 27, 10 days early.
Rev Poobalan, who has served as the Rector for St Andrew’s Cathedral in Aberdeen for seven years, said his “principal focus” for the walk is to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years of service.
However, during his walk he met lots of people along the way and engaged with communities about ways to help overcome mental health issues and suicide.
Inspired by the Queen’s Christmas message, Rev Poobalan wanted to raise awareness and show “somebody cares” and give people “a sense of affirmation”.
On his first day, he arrived in Stonehaven in time for a friend’s funeral after he had committed suicide.
He recalled that two weeks before Easter Monday, on Saturday, April 2, his friend had told his work colleagues that he was not feeling great.
After leaving work early, his friend disappeared. His body was found on the Monday.
‘It felt like every household had a story to share’
Rev Poobalan said: “There are quite a number of young men taking their own lives both during the pandemic and towards the end when things began changing.
“I personally have known three or four of them, and this was something that really triggered me into talking about it and listening to people.”
“That first day brought it into focus for me as it was the day of my friend’s funeral.”
Rev Poobalan says that being there and listening to people “set the tone” for the entire journey.
On his journey, he found that each day he would speak to at least one person affected by suicide.
He said: “Every day there was one person who would speak about their deeply hurting personal experience in relation to suicide.
“I was taken aback by that. Literally every day and without much prompting. It was as if they were waiting for someone to open the subject and they would speak.
“I found that extremely affirming. It felt like every household had a story to share, and it was in those moments that I was most encouraged.”
Many of the people Rev Poobalan met agreed that shared spaces where people can get support for issues such as suicide should be more visible in society.
‘Everyone can and should be a peacemaker’
The main takeaway from his journey for Rev Poobalan was that the “business of peace-making can be costly”.
He added: “You can wish for peace for others and yourself but to impact someone’s life when they are distressed and bring some sense of peace takes time and effort.
“Peace-making is a good thing, and everyone can and should be a peacemaker. That is one thing I want to advocate for in the future.
“It’s not just about reconciling two people who have fallen out with each other that is the easiest part.
“To impact a life that is troubled, distressed or traumatised, bringing peace to that is much more of a focus for me now.”
To anyone affected by mental health and needs support contact the SAMH website.
Conversation