Any help muchly appreciated on the subject, as I do a bit of gliding at the moment, and am wondering whether it's definitely worthwhile to continue?
Definitely worth continuing to fly gliders, if you enjoy it. It will make you a much better power pilot when the time comes.
However, you should regard the Gliding - NPPL hours as very much a minimum. It will probably take you many more hours of dual instruction to get to the level of skill required to complete the Solo flights and pass the Skills test.
Ask me how I know...