@SnowAndFrostOutside I'm glad the hear the Guide unit is so active, as that's the age group where lots of girls tend to leave. I'd encourage anyone with daughters in Girlguiding to encourage their daughter to speak up with ideas about what they'd like to do within their unit. We have a pow-wow in our unit most terms where girls can give their ideas, but lots of what we hear are things we've done in the previous couple of terms, so any new ideas are always greatly welcomed, and we try to guide girls for their suggestions.
In terms of the Brownies, particularly with them not asking for parent volunteers, if you're keen to help out, please do drop the leaders an email and let them know what you would be able to do/ what you're willing to help with! In the past year I've had a few parents email to say they're willing to help with overnight trips, or are willing to come and help at a session or two a term, and it's made a difference in us knowing planning and knowing what we're able to offer! We were able to have four local trips in the summer (chippy hike, meetings in a park and water games), because I knew there were enough parents able to help. Similarly we're running a sleepover and a pack holiday this term and I was able to reach out to two of the parents who'd spoken to me previously and said they'd be willing to come away overnight, which meant we could offer the trips to all girls in the unit, but if they hadn't mentioned it I wouldn't have asked.
I'd also say that please be mindful that each unit is run by different volunteers, with different commitments outside of Guiding with different experience, and have girls of vastly different background and abilities. @RoseAlan your local leaders may not have a great deal of time for planning and outings, or may not have the expertise or enough adults to run 'genuine projects'. There's also the massively limiting factor of money, with everything getting more expensive recently, lots of leaders are trying to keep Guiding cheap and accessible, so all the girls who want to can participant, which might mean that where in the past there'd have been a £3 craft kit purchased for each child to build and paint for mothers day, this year it's a drawing and a few chocolates stuck on a homemade note. Also bear in mind that you don't find out everything that happens in a meeting, (we've had it before where we had a parent say we weren't listening to her child's ideas, and we had to point out that our entire previous meeting had been around her daughter's suggested theme.)
At Rainbows age, lots of the having a say is more about 'what colour card would you like?', 'what toppings would you like on your pizza base?', 'would you like to make your pom pom into a sheep or a rabbit?', and 'Sally, it's your turn to pick what game we play before we go home' rather than them planning full evenings. We've found lots of girls don't remember what we've done on the way out, so she may be ticking off things to earn badges without you (or even her) being aware.
If you want to speak to the leaders about the programme, please try and keep it positive, and do remember that all leaders are volunteers. If you'd like something to happen, offer help to facilitate it, or to try and find someone who could. (eg you could offer to contact the local hospitals or university medicine students if you'd like your daughter to learn some first aid, and could send a message to the leader of something along the lines of;
'Hi Brown Owl, I've been speaking to some friends who have daughters in Brownies in other areas of the country. They've been doing first aid this term, which I think would be great for our Brownies to learn. I would love to offer to coordinate this, and could email the local hospitals to try and find someone who'd be able to run a few sessions! Does that sounds ok? If so, please could you let me know whether any certain dates would work, and how many Brownies you have. Thanks XXXXX (YYYY's parent')