By Jessica Rowe
Former kids TV presenter Olly Ohlson has emerged as a community activist in the doomed Christchurch suburb of Brooklands.
He was the face of the popular children's programme After School in the 1980s, and 30 years later he is back - setting up a community group to support the soon-to-be-displaced residents of the red zone.
“[It’s] an education programme, but it’s also a motivational programme to say, ‘Hey, stand up, there are people around that can help you do that and don’t just except any offer you are given, get the best offer you can,'” he says.
Known for the catchphrase “Stay cool 'til after school”, Ohlson hosted the popular TV show After School back in the 1980s, bringing Maori language and content to children.
“The lucky thing is a lot of the people in the community know me because they were young, and it is like I have a familiar face to them so they are ease.”
The entire suburb of Brooklands is in the red zone, meaning the land is unsafe to build on, and everyone must go.
Les Griffiths has been living there for 50 years and he does not want to leave.
Ohlson says the public still remembers him from 30 years ago, and hopefully his familiarity will help the group get momentum.
He says he has not given up television all together - Ohlson is filming the community's progress and plans to make it into a documentary.
3 News