Do you want to stay in the field of your study? You can always get job in other sectors with a science degree and keep trying to get work in your subject area.

57% is a decent score to be accepted for a PHD course. Do your research and find right institute for your subject. You may consult your topic before sending a proposal.

Excellent advice by Tru. You have no reason to be scared. It's your course and you are funding it. Do what it takes and change the supervisor. I would recommend working with someone from a different institute.

Of course you can. Just verify the source before you do so which it looks like you have already done. So I don't see a problem here. All the best for your course.

You are definitely late for 2018 entry as you need funding. I think sourcing funds from charity organization is a good idea, specially if they relate to your subject. Regarding your question, you can always contact the supervisor first discussing the subject you are interested in.

The best free project management software I have ever used is Fluxes.com. It's very simple to use, yet a powerful tool for managing daily tasks and team projects. Fluxes is installed with lots of useful features which is way better than many paid tools.