Hi,
This is mainly aimed for FOD but more than valid for Dan.
I was in exactly the same position as FOD with UAS EFT behind me a degree and some money in the bank. I had tried numerous times before my 24th birthday for the RAF, and with an offer as a nav I decided civvy (my apt score of 120 was considered too low, so this being the same test cut out possibility of RN).
I went off to America and signed up on a course in Florida, at a place we used to joke was the Walmart of flying. I signed up for a 'pro course' including multi private, sing/multi comm, IFR, CFI, CFII, MEI. With the offer of a job instructing if I was any good at the end. I finished the course with 230 hours and got a job instructing. I left after 2 years(visa expired) with 900 hrs under my belt and a lot of good memories.
I now work in Africa and have lived here for 3 years flying all sorts of planes. I am not particularly interested in the airlines.
Moving onto my point, I signed a contract for all of the above training for 29kUSD at the time about 14.5k sterling. It came with housing for 3 months as well. It took me six months to get all my tickets and after that I was earning 1.5k per month as an instructor to live on. So all in all I spent with living expenses and incidentals about 20k sterling on my training. I now have 2500 hrs PIC in multi's, turbine and jet. However, if your aim is to get into a big shiny airliner in JAA land quickly this might not be for you. I still have expensive conversions if/when I want to do that.
The course where I went to school I believe is now 38k USD. I recon your 25K sterling would pay for that, if you started the course now you could have 1000hrs under your belt in 2 years when the visa runs out. Just in time for some quick JAA conversions and for the industry to be on the upturn
.
You have 2 years to kill so kill it on the beach and airport in Florida, spend the 25k you have with no need to borrow more. If you want any more info on this school or the way I did it send me a PM.
Cheers