James,
Unfortunately, HSBC have withdrawn their professional studies loan, so you can no longer secure funding that way unless you intend to train at one of the integrated schools who still have an arrangement with the bank (FTE, OAT, CTC etc).
Your best option if you are going to follow the modular route is (in my humble opinion) to take it stage by stage and try to remain in employment while you are studying for the groundschool.
You might consider applying for a government career development loan (CDL) and details can be found at:
http://www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/cdl/
However, you can only secure a maximum of £8000 from a CDL.
Other options I'd be looking at are graduate loans (did you go to uni?) which you can usually take out up to £15,000 at reasonably preferential rates.
At the bottom of the pile is the "run of the mill" personal loan from your high street bank or someone else (such as lombard direct, etc) which usually advertises loans up to £25, 000. However, I would be concerned about prospective pilots who have undertaken no aptitude testing and have no previous flying experience, if I was the bank manager. You'd need to have a really rock solid business plan to secure that type of funding - and quite possibly some UK based equity on which to secure the loan (a parental guarantee or security on property). Besides the logistical problems actually getting the loan.. I suspect companies like lombard direct and other loan companies are absolute ******** to do business with. I'd do a lot of research before signing on the dotted line.
Also, a good idea would be to go and do some aptitude testing somewhere - which would strengthen your business plan and be a good thing to do to prove to yourself that you have what it takes to make it through the training.
Unfortunately securing financial assistance is really quite difficult, especially since HSBC decided to stop funding modular students recently. It might well be a case of having to go out and through hard work earn at least some of the money required to do your training.
The truth is, you cannot expect someone to simply loan you £35, 000 just like that.
Good luck whatever you decide.....
V2