Wazz, I also remember being overwhelmed with decisions when I first started out. When I bought my first radio, I thought it would last me for years, only to have it be discontinued within 6 months. Then, on to the second radio when all of a sudden the 2.4 radios hit the market. Point being, the technology is changing fast. A halfway decent 4-6 channel radio will last you for years and get you through the learning curve. Maybe one of the club members has an older Futaba radio that you can buy cheap. Buddy box with it and learn to fly. After a year of flying you could invest in the radio you want. Just my .02
As for the kit building, IMHO, learning how to build a plane puts you way ahead of the ARF assemblers. Once you've mastered the building process, you can build any plane you want from plans for not a lot of dough. It's always interesting to show up at the field with something nobody else has. I'm still conflicted about how to feel when they ask "What ARF is that?" I don't know if I should be enraged or complimented