Area care operative Glenn Layton, Cllr Joan McTigue and Area Care operative Ian Bayley plant an oak tree opposite James Cook University Hospital in tribute to the work of NHS staff during the Covid-19 pandemic A MIGHTY oak tree will stand in lasting tribute to the NHS heroes of Middlesbrough s Covid-19 response. And it s also one local Councillor s contribution to a drive to plant thousands of new trees across the borough. Longlands & Beechwood ward member Cllr Joan McTigue paid for the oak from the allowance she receives as a committee chair, and is dedicating it those who have put their own lives on the line during the coronavirus pandemic.